Heat
by SitaTheLastVampire
Summary: Max and White fic so if it bothers you, don't read. Max's fate is changed forever when in heat, she makes an unexpected encounter in Ames White. Chapter Ten, revised online.
1. Heat and Runes

**I'm sorry I'm only back now. Let's just say that life got a hold of me. Anyway, I just uploaded the revised version of the first three chapters. I'm currently working on the rest and on the rest of the story. I've made some changes, especially with the second and third chapter. The plot is the same but, I needed to make some adjustments. I hope you'll still like the story.**

* * *

The car lay lifeless on the side of the road. He'd smashed it again, and again, until, it resembled no more a car but an awkward pile of bent steel.

As far as he could remember, he was always good in expressing his rage, anger, violence, hatred, fury, wrath, ire. And so far, this year, those feelings had become his companions.

Things kept stacking up. He'd discovered how deep his father's betrayal went with the Manticore Project; and the looks came back. The looks that told him that he wasn't good enough, and that they were watching him, because he was the son of a traitor.

The respect, and fear, he'd come to consider to be rightfully his were now meaningless. It was '96 all over again. The questions, the second guessing.

And then, there was the transgenics and 452. The mere thought of an aberration such as her existing... He mentally cringed and scrunched his face. How could his father side with _humans_? How could he create those _animals_? How could he betray his son yet again?

The looks and the suspicions weren't the only things that bothered him: 452 kidnapped his son; All his leads didn't bring him closer to find him; leads on 452 and transgenics that didn't in the end amount to anything. The last two weeks, they've been chasing Xs and other freaks, but they always ended up somewhere non-related to the transgenics: a bakery, a drug dealers' lair, a boat, a sex addict reunion, and lately a strip joint.

His director considered that particular thing to be the last _straw_: he was present at the 'gentlemen's club', casually 'discussing' with a 'waitress'. As a result, the Bureau, unfortunately composed of non-familiar members, considered that he didn't do a good enough job of chasing the Manticore freaks and most of his teams, when they ran across Xs ended up hurt or dead, and apparently _that_ was unacceptable.

So here he was, in the middle of nowhere, with no gas, no car, no means of transportation and no phone. He was on 'vacation'. Forced leave described it better. And all of it really was Otto's fault.

He considered Otto to be his Personal Assistant, before being an agent. Well, Personal Assistant was too grand a word for a slave. Otto simply did all White told him to do. Pick up his laundry, wash his car, and put gas in the said car. Something that he obviously didn't do.

His fury came back full force. This time directed to a particular person. Otto Gotlieb.

"That son of a bitch!"

How a guy could be so stupid and forget to _simply_ fill his gas tank! Thankfully, soon, the Coming would erase all the human weaklings. The transgenics however were something else. And again, he felt his anger burst.

He exhaled. Took a deep breath. Paused. Something in the air, in the smell around him was familiar.

He knew that smell. Sniffing the air, he followed the fragrance toward a path in the woods.

* * *

Three days before

Sleep was a rare commodity for her, but it never bothered her. Most of the time. But the last two days, she'd overslept. She arrived at Jam Pony, late as usual, and for once (well twice) Normal was actually right when he accused her of hogging the sheets. Anyway, there was no reason that would make her arrive on time. Normal or no Normal. He was shorthanded as it was. Plus, it would probably shock the poor guy to death to see her at Jam Pony bright and early.

Or maybe he'd just find another reason to nag her. Probably.

Of late, the temperature in town was smoldering hot, November was approaching but it felt like Seattle had just a pulled a Vegas weather. And like anybody else she felt hot. Some kind of dysfunction in Mother Nature that agreed to her own dysfunctional nature.

"Hey OC!"

OC turned her head and smiled. "Hey boo. Didn't see you last night, where were you?"

"Had some things to do." Max replied.

"Logan?"

"Who else?" she was a tiny bit defensive and Cindy noticed.

Cindy arched her brow "Uhm…Cranky much?"

Max looked apologetic. "Sorry, it didn't go as planned and…" Before she could finish her sentence, a vice grip was pulling her away from Cindy and from Jam Pony. She relaxed when she recognized Alec, but she didn't hide her anger.

"What is wrong with you?" her face was flushed.

"I can _smell_ you!" he growled. He released her as if she'd caught an STD.

"What are you…" she stopped as realization dawned on her. "Oh God, oh no!"

"You _need_to get out of town. Don't go near TC, some X5s could…" He looked at her pointedly, not needing to explain further what could happen.

"I know. I learned my lessons during the little months I spent back there!" she cut in. Her anger hadn't dissolved. How couldn't she have seen this coming? She was angry at him for noticing this particular weakness in her, and angry at herself for not picking up earlier on the clues. But she was still sane enough to react accordingly.

"You have somewhere to go?" inquired the troubled X5 in front of her.

"Logan's uncle used to have a cottage, out of the city. It's a bit far but I'll manage."

"Go!" he barked.

And without looking back, she ran as fast as she could.

* * *

Jonas Cale's Cottage

After the last year, her heat felt almost reassuring. As if something in her life was still the same as before. Before the attack on Manticore, before the retro-virus, before the familiars, before all this mess that made her present life.

It was almost easy to stay focused on distracting herself from any sex implied thoughts. Real easy. The recipe was simple: Push-ups and cold showers. Lots of them. And some additional help thanks to Alec who'd had given her some kind of drug months ago to ease the craving :it was a mild success. She could force herself to do something else than thinking about Alec's muscles, or his hands on her, or the way he fitted his jeans perfectly, or the sight of him with just a towel around the waist, his smell, his eyes, his mouth, lips, pecs…

"I need another shower!" she groaned.

The second she stepped out of the bathroom, she smelt a male. Finally, someone had come to her. The flush of desire crept on her face and in her eyes.

His scent was familiar. It wasn't Logan or Alec; she would have recognized their smell. No. She shook her head, clearing her thought. It wasn't a transgenic. Nor was it human. What was he then? Despite her state of arousal, she shuddered as she understood _what_ he was. And then, she recognized the scent. His scent. A _familiar'_s scent.

"Oh, no! Not him."

She blurred to get to the kitchen counter but in her rush the vials fell on the floor and the green liquid spilled on the floor.

"Shit!"

She was doomed.

* * *

He couldn't believe his luck. If his sense of smell didn't betray him, it was 452. Maybe he wouldn't bite Otto's head off afterall.

Something was polluting her smell. Something sweet mingled in her odor, something heady, rich, exhilarating. But he didn't stop to think about that. Instead, he focused on the fact that 452 was at his mercy. He smiled and pulled his gun out.

He didn't know why she was here, on her own, but he didn't mind, by the end of the day, he would know where she had hidden Ray _and_ he would have the pleasure to kill her.

His day had just taken a turn for the better.

* * *

Panic seized her. Her head was filled with conflicting thoughts: on the one hand, she felt an intense craving to jump the male right outside the cottage; to _feel_ his hardness, his strength all _over _her, _in_ her. Calling on her graphic memory, she remembered the way he walked, the way he frowned. All of a sudden, the way he fought, the way he carried himself wasn't perceived as a threat, as something to be analyzed. At that moment, his every move, word, phrasing, quirks that she could recall held an _appeal._ His body held the promise of _relief._

On the other hand, her survival instincts were kicking in. The familiars were to the transgenics, what werewolves were to vampires, they, the transgenics, were the mongooses fighting the snakes, the familiars. It was in their blood to fight, to turn on each other. And in her heightened state, this fact was clearer to her than it ever was since she learned of the existence of the snakes. 'What am I gonna do?' she whispered desperately. She couldn't call on help. She was miles from Seattle and she definitely wouldn't involve another transgen, just so that Ames and his team could add another scalp in this already bloody war. She struggled to focus, to see the situation as the soldier that she was trained to be. How many of them were out there?

Cocking her head to the side, she listened. How odd, he was alone too she concluded after a few seconds. Her animal side took over. Something more than her heat was driven her.

"You don't want to be here White." It was hard to keep the purr out of her voice.

So much for a surprise visit, Ames thought. No matter. He had a gun and as far as he could remember, she never carried one.

"Actually, I do want to be here. I'm coming for you 452."

Her aroused alter ego answered "In a few minutes babe, in just a few minutes." Her sane part was immediately mortified. She was facing her most dangerous enemy, and due to her hormonal state, all she was able to think about was how good it would feel to have his tongue down her throat, or hers down his. She could think of _lot_ of ways to use her tongue on him, and she was sure he was really going to cum for her.

* * *

The smell followed him everywhere. The heady aroma filled his nose. He liked that smell. Like a wolf, he sniffed the air and took a lung full trying to understand what was in that scent that he liked so much. Her voice seemed to come from the front of the house. He backed up and went around the cottage toward the back door. Something was pushing him ahead. It wasn't his fury or his anger anymore that fueled him. He didn't want to kill her either. It was a new kind of desire that pushed him ahead.

He kicked the door open but as soon as he set one foot in the cottage, the gun was kicked out of his hands, and another kind of attack overwhelmed him. An hostile take-over of his senses. The heady scent was her pheromones, and they hit him full force once he was inside. To his horror, he couldn't help but react to it, as the bulge in his pants attested.

Before she could think about stopping, or clearing her thoughts, or better yet fleeing, Max crashed her mouth on his. If she stopped she'd know that this was Ames, she would maybe have the time to clear her head, and realize this was her natural enemy. And then, she wouldn't have her relief. Her wanton doppelganger craved the relief. Years of frustrated unsatisfied sex had finally caught up with her and here was a man who could, who would satisfy all her needs.

Hungry lips crashed on his own before he could recover and before he knew it, he too was lost and exploring her mouth; he roughly handled her body, his hands mauling her breast, her ass, he was everywhere, overwhelming her senses; and that was exactly what she was looking for. Her alter ego sighed in pleasure, _finally_ relief had come.

* * *

The smell of gun powder woke him up. Without opening his eyes, he knew that she had his gun trained on him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked straight in her brown orbs. There was reluctance in her stance, but no hesitation in the way she handled the gun.

"I told you to go!" Max said through gritted teeth.

"The way I remember it, you jumped on me." He was strangely composed about all this.

"Do you want to die?" her voice was dispassionate, but her eyes betrayed her feelings.

They remained in a stare match for a long time, and he wondered why she didn't pull the trigger already. To his surprise and shock, she moved the gun away from his head and threw it across the room. All the while, silent tears begun to fall from her eyes.

The situation couldn't have been more awkward. He wasn't supposed to bed his enemy, the bitch who'd stolen his son. He wasn't supposed to react in _that_ way at her sight; he wasn't supposed to think that the last two days of his life were the best ever. They weren't supposed to be that compatible on _that_ level! He wasn't supposed to care about why she was crying! He wasn't that bad in bed, right? And finally he wasn't supposed to feel a rush of protectiveness toward _it_, or _her_! Whatever she was. The last two days, she'd been his lover. And he had to admit it she had been a freaking good one.

She was not completely dressed: she just had a bra and panties on. Nonetheless, it was clear that she'd been awake for at least an hour. He guessed that she had trained that gun several time right between his eyes before he came around. The knowledge that she could have killed him so easily had never occurred to him. She was a killing a machine, yes; but he never thought that one day, he'd find himself utterly defenseless and naked in front of her, that he'd find himself in a situation where she got the jump on him. She'd always been just an animal to him, a little bug who needed to learn her place in the world. It bothered him that he'd continued to sleep, the sleep of the dead when _she_ was there. No matter that she wasn't in a state to think about killing him when he closed his eyes completely tired around 3 in the morning. Now, she'd apparently gathered all her wits. And he'd given her an opportunity to take his gun and shot him in the head. Why hadn't she pulled the trigger? He watched as the tears continued to fall silently.

"How long you've been up?" he asked trying to distract her and himself from her tears.

He thought she wasn't going to answer, when he heard her whispered, "I don't sleep," Her voice was surprisingly firm for someone who was crying.

"Shark DNA." It was a question. She nodded.

"It was heat," she was really talking to herself, rationalizing what had happened. She had to find a way to accept what had happened and live with herself. This was the _worst_ heat ever. "Manticore wanted to make sure that we were able to breed..." she stopped mid sentence unable to finish.

"I know," Ames said. He hated his father even more for making this kind of situation possible.

As he continued to look at her, he realized he didn't feel repulsed by her anymore. If anything, he wanted more of her. From where he was, he saw the bite mark on her shoulders, some bruises here and there on her manufactured, yet perfect golden skin.

He realized that he had enjoyed the late events. He'd always enjoyed sex. But sex with humans had been unsatisfying : he had to be careful not to break them. With _her,_he'd been rough, and she'd handled it fine. She even seemed to like it. The whole thing was…baffling to say the least.

He knew he still despised her and for good reasons; for what she was, for what she had done, for what, who she represented. But he couldn't deny the chemistry between them. He would even tolerate going another round with her. But he suspected that it was a onetime thing. He had heard about the heat of the females X5s. He had even witnessed some. But he hadn't responded like that to the other X5s. What did his father put in her cocktail to make him react that strongly to her? He pondered silently.

"I'm pregnant," she announced. She stood up, giving her back to him, she stared out the window. Cold air penetrated the warm cottage through the opened back door; it seemed that the winter had finally decided to show its nose and settle in.

"Is that why you were here?" he asked.

"No. You don't understand. You fathered it," she affirmed.

"What…I…that…" he spluttered.

Horror painted itself on his face. She had to be lying. She had to be. How could a onetime thing become a permanent thing? Especially with _her._No. It was just impossible. Because of their peculiar genes not many humans could be compatible with them. They'd been experimenting with the transgenics and so far, they had approximately the same result, as with the humans. It was just impossible, he reassured himself.

But the truth in her words reached his head. And he knew, he _knew_ that she wasn't lying.

Oblivious to his inner turmoil, Max went on "I can get pregnant when I'm not in heat. According to Manticore stats, 23.9% of chance to be pregnant out of heat. With an X serie it goes up to 69.8%." she said coldly. "But in heat, I have 99.9 per cent of chance to be. If our…" she hesitated. "_sessions_ are any indication, then I can assure you that I'm pregnant. After my last stay in Manticore, Renfro made sure that in my heat induced state, I'll choose the best male compatible and breed." She spat the last word, recalling the one session during which Renfro had explained it _all_to her. She wasn't responsible of her actions. Manticore did this to her. This wasn't her fault. If she repeated it enough times in her head, she'd believe it. Maybe.

This was _insane_. "There is still a chance..."

'There's still a chance.' Was he high? Didn't he listen to what she'd just said? Anger toward him brought her out of her limbo, "I told you to go!" she clamored. "Do you think I want to carry your spawn?"

He winced at her words. He didn't want her to carry his child, but at the mention of her condition, he couldn't help the rush of protectiveness he felt toward this unborn baby. He'd lost so many childs along the way, before he found Wendy and she gave him, Ray, his only living son. He hoped that Ray was still alive.

His expression was her undoing and she lunged at him landing blow after blow. Somehow, he managed to push her and to get his hands around her throat. She stilled. Thousand thoughts crossed her head, and she settled on one. Maybe this was the solution she was searching for. She couldn't live with herself; this was the alternative she'd been looking for. It wasn't suicide if someone killed you.

At that moment, she didn't care about OC, or Joshua, or Alec, she didn't want to, she couldn't; she had to save herself. What had happened last night, between them was a betrayal. And never again she would betray her kind. Never again. She had to die. She wouldn't carry this child, _his_ child.

Warmth seeped through all of her body; she thought it was from her decision, some kind of response her body was giving her, telling her that it was the right thing to do. But no. Death was an end far too sweet for her.

He _saw_ the decision in her eyes. She wasn't going to dodge this one. She wasn't even trying to fight. Nonplused, he hesitated long enough to see the runes starting to appear all over her like an army of black ants. From her toes to her head, she was completely covered by the 'ants'.

"Kill me!" she sobbed.

Quickly he read the inscriptions. His hands still around her throat, ready to snap her neck. He pushed her toward the morning light; he clumsily followed the lines of ants from bottom to top, again, again. No, it couldn't be! She couldn't be! His father couldn't be right during all this time! He just couldn't be right! Completely confounded, he let the gun drop from his hand.

"Are you doing this? How did you do this?" he spat angrily.

"Like I would do this to myself!" she snickered. "I didn't do anything. It just appeared. You saw it like I did!"

"Do you know what it means?" he inquired. He loosened his hold on her.

"Do you see a twisted caduceus on my forearm? No." He stepped back. "So the answer is: No, I don't know what it means!" she yelled. "Just kill me!"

She picked up the gun and put it in his hand, the barrel aimed at her head.

"Kill me," she continued to say.

He looked at her. If he read the runes in the right order, he couldn't. He just couldn't. And even without the runes, he wasn't sure of what he would do. Knowing that his child was probably growing inside her was, let's face it, hard for him to accept, but it was pleasant. He was overwhelmed, just like when he learned about Ray.

"No. You need to live."

"You're supposed to hate my kind! Just kill me already! If you worry about the child, it's not born yet! I've seen you bragging on the fact that you could kill a transgenic without a second thought. Do it now! Please."

He grimaced. He understood her pain. Their kinds were never meant to mix. But he couldn't, he just couldn't kill her. "Yes it's about the child! How could you think that I would kill the mother of my child! I'm not a monster!" There was another reason but he wasn't about to tell her.

"Oh yeah!" she said with irony.

"I've done things. Just like you did. And those things were done to protect my kind! I should have killed you. But this" he gestured toward her body covered runes "this changes everything. So I won't kill you. I can't. I can't." He shook his head.

"What, you fell in love with me or that kind of shit?" sarcasm dripping through her.

"No. There's a message for me from my father on your tattoo. We need to find him."

"And after?" you'll kill me? She didn't need to finish the sentence to make him understand.

"I don't know," he admitted. She nodded. At least it was the truth.

* * *

Alec had decided to give Max one more day before calling her. He knew that depending on the female, the heat period was more or less longer. But now, 5 days after he'd told her to hit the road, he still didn't have any news. Whereas it was normal for her not to call him to ascertain that she was fine, she called OC. But just like him, his sassy co-worker hadn't heard a word from Max. 7 days now had passed since he had smelled her. 7 days since she had ran from Seattle to Jonas Cale's cottage. 7 days since he got any news from her. The only other person she would have called was not on his favorite list. Unfortunately for him, he was worried and that meant that he had to pay a visit Mr Eyes Only.

"I don't know where she is Alec," admitted Logan, his eyes never leaving his screen.

Alec chuckled as Asha entered the room and leaned on Logan, peering on his screen. She seemed to be spending a lot of time around since she learned that Max was going to be 'unavailable' for a few days. He knew just by the smell what was really going on here, but hey, it wasn't his place to say anything. So he shut his mouth. All he wanted was Max's location. Just to make sure that she was safe and sound.

"So you think it's him?" Asha asked the vigilante, ignoring Alec.

"It's him," Logan said.

"The mice are dancing when the cat is out" Alec muttered darkly. It might not have been his place to say anything but Max was his friend.

"You said anything Alec?" replied Asha a bit angrily. She knew his comment was directed toward her. Logan as usual was oblivious.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Logan can you give me the location of your uncle's cottage?"

For a moment, Logan didn't answer.

"Logan!"

Finally, Logan scribbled something on a paper and handed it to Alec.

"Thanks for nothing." Snarked the transgenic on his way out.

* * *

He arrived at the cottage as the day was rising. The scenery was beautiful. The sun was fighting the night for his spot, and the colors were so vivid and warm against the frost and snow that had started to settle in. But Alec didn't pay any attention to that.

He eyed the open door warily. No one was here, he could smell and hear that much. No human heartbeat and the scents were days old. Nevertheless, he recognized her. And the other one too. First he thought that a transgenic had followed her. But the smell wasn't transgenic. It was Ames White's familiar flavor.

He had noticed a car - well sort of a car really - on the road before he took the turn toward the cottage. So he came back on his way but he found that the gas tank was empty. The license plate was one of the government.

"Max where are you?" he wondered out loud.

He was sure she was alive, but in what condition, he didn't know? And that was what was worrying him most.

He came back by nightfall in Seattle, and didn't beat around the bush when he confronted her "not like that boyfriend".

"She wasn't there Logan."

"Who?"

"Max."

"Well maybe she's with Cindy…"

"You don't understand, I smelled Ames White and his car was parked three miles from the cottage!" yelled Alec angrily. "For once leave your beloved computer and your pale copy of a cat burglar alone and find her! If she's dead Logan, you are too!"

Alec could feel it in his bones, somethings were brewing in the dark. Changes were coming. He just hoped that wherever Max was, she was somehow safe, at least alive and kicking, coz he was coming after White and he knew she would hate to miss someone kicking Ames'ass.

"Please God, let her be alive."

* * *

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	2. Sire, Sire, Where Are Thou?

The first thing that Max and Ames had to find was transportation. They couldn't use his car, and she only had her bike. He refused point blank to travel on it so they had to find another way.

Max resigned herself to stash her baby in the back of the cottage and they started to walk. The roads were deserted and they walked 50 miles before finding a town. They walked the whole 50 miles in silence, both contemplating what was going to happen next.

They had to find Sandeman. How could they do that? All the leads she had about the man turned out to be dead ends.

"What's the message?" she asked as they stepped into town.

"It's personal." He replied.

"Well since it's written on me…" she was going to add something but something in his eyes made her stop.

He too was processing things. She'd bet her life that he was back at debating whether he should kill her or not. She understood that the runes were her shield against him. Something in the runes, had made him stop.

Something that keeps you alive isn't a bad thing, right? Yet, she was frustrated that she couldn't read the message herself and know what had made Special Agent Ames White tick. She had to find out. She monitored herself and saw that the runes were – for lack of a better term – evolving. The tattoos weren't static. At least not all the runes were static. She kept taking pictures. Somewhere on this earth, someone could tell her what was written on her body. She was determined to find that person.

That focus made her forget that she was pregnant and that her travel companion was her mortal enemy.

"Well what next?" she continued. "Once we have a car, what are we going to do?"

"We track him down."

"And how do you propose to do that? If your organization couldn't manage finding him, what makes you think that we'll find him now?"

"Because he left clues in your body."

"And you're keeping me alive because?" She genuinely wanted to know.

"If you die, the clues die with you."

She shouldn't be surprised that yet again she was just a pawn in a much bigger game. So she wasn't going to die. At least not yet, not before her body had given up all the clues. This was just a temporary setback to his plan. She believed he still planned on killing her later. If she wanted to live, she had to pay attention. And despite everything, she wanted to live. She wanted to be able to spend a night at crash with her friends again, bickering with Alec and Sketchy, siding with OC, watching Sketchy make a fool out of himself, drinking beer.

So she was going to play this chess game: she might only be a pawn, but she had the strength of a queen, and the abilities of a thousand kings. She was going to survive this. After all, she was a survivor.

* * *

Their means of transportation wasn't the only thing that they had to take care of. Ames reported not only to the bureau but also to the familiars. The first wasn't going to be much of a problem: they didn't want him back there. The latter couldn't be easily shaken off: more than before he was on the council's watch list. They had long memories and they never forgot who his father was. If he brought in his father, his honor would be restored. If he brought in 452, there was no chance that they would let her live long enough for him to get all the clues and find his sire.

He was going to find his sire, he'd kill him and he'd kill 452 after she'd tell him where Ray is.

But for now, they cooperated and covered their tracks so that neither the council's cleaners nor her little friends would manage to find them. And they followed lead after lead throughout the whole country.

In the weeks they spent on the road together, the best way they found to deal with each other was complete silence, or a constant throw of insults. The words 'freak', 'inbred', 'animal', 'psycho killer' were often mentioned. Overtime they lost their edge.

Their personal bubble spaces were firmly in place. There was no touching no fighting. Any activity that created a close proximity between them was avoided at all cost: When he had to check on her runes, she took pictures of it and showed him. The decision was clear for both of them, there wasn't going to be a repeat performance of what had happened between them.

* * *

Their latest lead brought them back to Seattle and they were both stressed. She couldn't afford to be seen with him, just as he couldn't afford to be seen in Seattle period. Not by the Council, not by the FBI.

Getting in the city was easy enough given their abilities. She got annoyed as he tried to help her at one point in the climb. They touched ground at 3 AM, and took two adjoining rooms in a motel at the outskirts of Sector Eleven.

As long as they were away, she'd felt that none of this was true. Or at least she tried to convince herself of that. But Seattle was her home and she couldn't close her eyes on her situation anymore. She had to come to terms with the fact that she spent the last month with White, that she was carrying not only his child but keys to finding his father. As she typed the numbers on the burnt phone, she knew she really should have contacted him sooner. There was no avoiding this call. She held her breath as the phone rang. It went into voicemail.

"You know what to do." How she'd missed him. She was surprised that she missed Alec this much. She took a deep breath.

"It's me. Call me back."

She sank on the bed and tried to sleep, tried to make sense of her life this past month. And there was no forgetting she was pregnant, no forgetting that she was covered in runes.

'What am I supposed to do now?' she wondered.

'Well, what's done is done' another voice replied. Great, now she was talking to herself.

'You could get rid of it.' That last voice resembled Logan's.

'Hello! That baby must the key of everything! In case you didn't notice she has runes all over her body since she has that bun in her oven!' said a third voice, and she could have sworn it was Alec's voice.

'It's White's child for God sake!' continued Logan's voice.

'It's an innocent child! You of all people should understand that Max! You can't do that! Don't kill this child.'

SHUT UP!

She didn't realize she had screamed before White barged in her room. She was standing in the middle of her room staring at herself in the mirror in front of the bed.

"452! Are you okay?" asked White.

She didn't answer; slowly Ames approached her as you would a wounded animal.

"452!" he repeated.

She seemed to snap. "My name is Max!" she finally spat, with that she went in the bathroom.

Ames was fuming and he didn't even think before following her in the bathroom.

"452…" he stopped short by the sight of his transgenic nemesis in her birth suit.

"Get out!" she spat angrily, not bothering to cover herself, she pushed him out of the room.

He hit the door with his fist, and made Max jump. He hated her for what she did to him, he hated her for being perfectly beautiful, he hated her for the reaction he had at the sight of her.

He was her arch enemy! They were supposed to try to kill each other not bang each other.

But now…Now his father had to come and ruin everything up like he always did. Since his youth, it was always this way. When he was starting to have a little fun, his father would manage somehow to spoil it. It was fun for him to hunt 452. But now, he couldn't even do that anymore.

He turned his back on the door and let himself drop on the floor. He tried to calm down, took a deep breath.

452. Pregnant. With his child. It was an abomination. He had to be in some kind of nightmare, otherwise, it couldn't be possible. How could his father still control and ruin his life when he was supposed to be dead?

He thought back at those times when he was bullied in school because of his name.

_'How's this for you Sandeman?' said a 10 year old boy as he kicked a younger boy. The little boy addressed as Sandeman __had already a bloodied nose, a black eye and probably some broken ribs. Nonetheless, he got on his feet and fell in a fighting stance. He didn't stand a chance against the 5 boys in front of him, but he wasn't about to let them win easily._

That day like many others he had ended up at the infirmary.

He was over that now. He had proven them that he was better than his father. He wasn't a traitor. He was one of the familiars to look up to now. Still low on the hierarchy but high enough (more than enough) considering his age and his name. Or maybe it was just the Conclave's politics: to keep their friends close and their enemies closer. He had changed name. He had become a new person. He was finally…how could he formulate that…at peace with his origins.

Then, he heard about Manticore and was assigned to hunt the freaks. Each transgenic he killed was like making up for all the things his father did against their kind. He felt revived. Yeah, he felt he was doing the right thing.

Suddenly, he fell backward as the door was pulled opened and was greeted with 452 in a simple towel warped around her.

"What are you still doing in here?"

"None of your business 452!" he spat though he didn't manage to tear his eyes away from her body.

"Can I remind you that first, my name is Max, address me as 452 again, and the Conclave will need a whole year to find all your body parts, second to that, this is my room, not yours. So get out!"

She pushed him out of her way with her foot. White took hold of her foot to pull her down and she kicked his head for that.

"You freak…"

"The name calling is getting old White. Find something else and get out of my sight!"

"I plan to do so, but not before this…" with all his strength, he hit her in the face, splitting her lower lip.

"You bastard!" She got up quickly and chased him but he closed the door to his room on her like she did earlier.

She needed to work out the frustration and the anger she was feeling. White and her didn't really talk beside the necessary stuff. If they 'talked', they would insult one another and then end up fighting which she didn't want to do anymore because of the growing life within her that she had reluctantly come to cherish. Absentmindedly, she put her hand protectively on her belly.

'No one's going to hurt this baby,' she said to herself.

Her phone rang. She knew who it was, but she hesitated. Taking this call, would mean talking about what happened. She knew that he probably tried to find her. But it was unavoidable.

"Max? Hello?"

"Alec…" she finally said.

"Max!" she felt the relief in his voice. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"

"Alec stop! I'm fine…"

He breathed a sigh of relief. She sounded calm not frightened nor threatened.

"You know it wasn't your fault. You couldn't help it…"

"You went to the cottage," she stated.

"Yeah." He paused, searching for his words, "did he hurt you badly?" he finally asked.

"I'm fine Alec, ok? But I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Call Cindy, ask her about the honey pot, and bring it to me in one hour in sector 5, ok?"

"You sure ok?"

"Yeah, I have a lead on Sandeman. I'll be out of town a bit. Just bring the pot, ok?"

"Ok Max."

She hung up before he could ask something else.

* * *

"Max!" relief coursed through him as he saw her. They hugged though neither was a tactile person being who they were, and because a month ago, she would have probably kicked his arse to the end of the earth if he dared to touch her. Yet, today, that day, they hugged. Their relationship was rocky from the beginning. But they had to come to respect one another, and she knew that he had her back, just as she had his back.

"What happened? Where is he?" Alec asked without preamble.

She shook her head.

"Somewhere. I need him to find Sandeman." She handed him an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Photos of runes." She rolled up her sleeves to show him the tattoos. "They appeared after my heat. I made copies. Find out what they mean. Please."

Alec nodded.

"Did you bring what I asked you?"

Alec opened his back pack. There was 50 000 dollars in it, and a few IDs.

"Tell me, with your lousy job, how did you manage to put out 50 000 dollars?" He was more amused than anything.

"It wasn't my only job for a long time." She rose and motioned for him to follow her.

"Where are we going?"

"To see a doctor." She wondered what he was going to do when he knew.

* * *

They found their way to Sam Carr's clinic. The forty or so year old man was about to leave. He was already getting behind the wheel of his old Chevy. He jumped as his car door was pulled open. He was reaching for his gun, but someone else stopped him.

"Max!" he breathed. "You frightened me."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I'll never get use to it." The doctor smiled at her, and then at Alec.

"I need your help."

He turned his attention back on her. She seemed more tired than usual.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant."

She couldn't tell which of Carr or Alec was more shocked. Max looked at Alec, she was waiting to see hatred in his eyes. But she didn't.

* * *

Clearly, the doctor wasn't prepared for this. As far as he was concerned, Logan and Max were in some sort of way involved and because of the retro-virus they couldn't have any contact. So the million dollar question was: who was the father?

He looked at the other X5 in the exam room.

"It's not Alec's." She said reading his mind. "A month ago I went into heat. I wasn't in Seattle. The father is a familiar." she was all facts and no emotions, Carr noted.

"A…A…familiar?" he wasn't prepared for that answer. Looking in her eyes, he knew she was telling the truth. "I thought they were your enemies?"

"They are," hissed Alec from his corner. He was angry, but none toward her.

"Ok. Ok." Carr rose from his chair and paced. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need to know if I'm going to lose it…"

"Lose it?" he questioned.

"The familiars, they always lose two foetuses before the 'right one'."

"I'm afraid there's no science yet that could determine if one will lose a baby or not," Carr stated. "But I can take a blood sample, and find out…anything that I can about your condition."

"Send the result to Alec, he'll keep me posted."

"You're leaving town?"

"I have some family problem that I need to take care of." She paused a moment. "Thanks for the help. Don't tell Logan."

The doctor hesitated but acquiesced. "Of course. I'm your doctor Max."

* * *

"Where to now?" Alec asked as they got back into the car.

"To a bank," she simply said.

"You're not going to rob it, are you? Not that I'll mind…"

"No."

Max apparently knew all the people who worked there. The welcome she got was odd to say the least. The guard nodded, and immediately led them to the CEO's office.

"Care to explain?" he whispered so that she was the only one who heard.

"I did a favor to the CEO a few years back," she waved it off as it was not important.

"EO mission?" the other X5 wondered.

"No. Before that. Anyway, I put my money here since then."

"Your money?"

"Yeah? You know those green things with the Presidents faces stamped on…"

"Ah, ah…My question is how?"

"I was very good at what I did before I met Logan." There was a hint of pride in her voice. " And Logan deals with dangerous criminals, but also with rich, and sometimes very rich criminals…Stealing from a thief is not really stealing right?" She smiled. "I worked with him for a year, what do you think? It's not like anyone was going to cry over that money…"

Alec chuckled.

"I need money for the next weeks. I can't trust him." That was obvious. "In fact, we can't trust each other. So I have to watch my back…I can't rely on him."

* * *

'_What does it mean White?'_

'_Not now 452!'_

'_I told you my name is Max!' she had yelled._

'_Shut up! I need to think!'_

'_For that you need a brain' she muttered angrily. She had spent the last months try to avoid White, and now she wanted his undivided attention! She was going crazy!_

_White looked at Max finally. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. He looked at her closely, then at her runes._

* * *

Alec's voice brought her back to the present.

"Max, in your condition you're going to need someone on your side. Let me go with you…" Alec started.

"No!" she said more harshly than she intended. "No," she repeated on a quieter tone. "You can't. As long as we're looking for Sandeman, he's going to do everything he can to protect me. Plus, you have to take care of things here."

"What things?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes and then, sighed. "You and I both know that a war is bound to happen. Whether it being us and the familiars, or us against norms, it's bound to happen. You know it. You know we have to gear up, and the sooner the better! They have five thousand years of advance to prepare this war."

Alec nodded.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to go and find Sandeman. And you, you're going to take the rest of the money. I don't need it all and start putting some organization around TC. I'm sure you can do it." that last part was ironic.

Alec's eyes bulged when he saw the amount of money she leaving to him. 4, 987, 456 $

"Max?"

"It was supposed to create a haven for my family when we met again," she said sadly. "It was my dream. A foolish dream I guess. Lydecker would have never left us alone and Zack. Zack would have never gone for it." There was a smile in her voice. "I've never touched a penny out of it."

"Max, are you sure?"

"You are family Alec. They are family. I've never found any of my siblings. The few encounters I got with some of them never gave me the hope that someday we would be together again. I don't mind though. I have Joshua now, and you…" she added as an afterthought. They both knew Cindy or Sketchy or even Logan didn't count. They couldn't understand, would never understand.

"Take care of everyone…" she whispered and then she disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

"Where have you been?" he yelled as soon as she set foot in her room.

"What? You missed me?" she turned her back on him to close the door.

"You wish!"

"God forbid!" she muttered.

"Where. Have. You. Been."

"I had to talk to someone…"

"Your precious Eyes Only, I presume. Or is he dead already? I heard Manticore inoculated a retro virus in you."

"It's none of your business!" she spat. "Now leave me alone, will you."

"Don't you understand you're vulnerable in your state! I've seen the reports on X5s females being pregnant. They are not at their 100 per cent capacities. It means that you're an easy target. The last two weeks you fainted three times!" he put three fingers in front of her as she was a 5 year old child.

She put away his hand, and entered further in her room.

"Whatever! Just tell me what did you find out?" she asked.

"France, the next clue is in France," he answered.

"That's not going to be easy. We'll need perfect and clean IDs to get through airport security. I'm assuming we don't have much time." He acquiesced. "Problem is right now they are wary of single tourists because of the latest terrorist acts of this year."

"You know that?" he said surprised.

"What? You think I don't watch the news if it's not transgenic related?" The truth was that Logan had told her about it, she didn't care for it back then, like most of the times Logan talked these last days. Or should she say months? She remembered him saying that he had a lead on the man who was behind the terrorist attacks. At the time, she had said whatever. All she wanted him to do was research on Sandeman.

"We need forged papers, the best we can find, clean ones. I don't want my boss wondering what I'm doing abroad and I'm sure you don' t want your little pose hightailing it after you."

"That's not a problem. I know the best person to do it. We'll have it by morning."

"We'll travel as a couple." It was logical for them to do so.

"Alright. I'll see the man tonight."

"Why not now?" he asked.

"Because I don't know where he lives, just where he works. And he only works at night. Don't worry, he's the best. Now I need to sleep." She dropped gracefully on her bed dismissing White.

* * *

The apartment was dimly light. It was easy for her to hide in one of the dark corners. Ames had insisted on going with her but agreed to stay in the car.

"Mike," she said.

The spectacled man turned toward the voice. "Who's there?" he asked.

She took a step toward the light.

"Hello Oreo!" She had a smile on her face.

"Max! God, why do you always do that?" She picked up one of biscuit he got his name from.

"Coz it's fun. How do you still manage to find oreos in this economy baffles me." she commented. He ignored her question and focused his eyes back on his screen.

"I suppose you didn't come by to say hello."

"No. I need two passports for me and someone else." She handed a craft envelope as he turned around. "All you need is there."

"No problem."

"I need them in the morning."

"Max, you're killing me now…" Oreo complained.

"In the morning Mike." Max insisted.

He nodded but looked at her closely.

"Are you okay? You look…I don't know."

"I'm fine." She interrupted. "I'll be back by 6. Can I count on you or not?"

"Yeah, 'course."

"Ok."

Before he could add anything, she jumped through the window.

At 7 AM, they were both sitting in a plane en route to Paris, via New York. It was time to go find their 'sire'.

* * *

**Liked it? Hated it? Leave me a little review...**


	3. Little Red Riding Hoods

Usually, she never slept. But her pregnancy didn't like her no sleeping policy. So now, she slept everywhere : in cars, at the dinner in the middle of her lunch, and apparently on planes too. Two hours into the flight and she was out.

"_You're two weeks pregnant M'am."_

She was tossing in her seat.

"_So let me go with you…" said Alec._

"No." she whispered in her sleep.

"452!" hissed White trying to wake her up. He so wouldn't touch her. Ames clenched his jaw as she wouldn't wake up.

"_I told you it wasn't safe for you there…See what happened." The last voice was Zack's._

"No! Zack." Her voice was close to a scream.

The stewardess was starting to look at them. Reluctantly, he called her by her name.

"Max." That seemed to still her a bit. "Max, wake up."

Slowly the dark haired transgenic opened her eyes. It took her a fraction of a second to recognize her surroundings. She turned to look at him.

"You were dreaming," he stated his voice full of reproach.

She didn't even raise the venom in his sentence and nodded. The dreaming was one of the reasons why she didn't sleep. Not only because she was blessed with her shark DNA but because the nightmares were always there. These days, they were more frequent. She thanked whoever it was that allowed her to go on weeks without a wink of sleep.

"You're not going to faint on me again are you?" asked White. There was genuine concern in his voice. Probably because she hadn't reacted to his tone as she usually would have.

She just turned her back on him and looked through the window. "No," came her late answer.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Ames muttered a 'Females!'. As if that was supposed to explain her behavior.

She turned again to look at him this time and smiled. A genuine smile. It wasn't the first time that she heard him mention her, not as an animal but as a member of the fairer sex. It made her hope. If White could think of her as a person, than anyone could do the same. There was hope for the transgenics.

A part of Ames was happy that she smiled though he really had no idea why, and another part of him was annoyed as hell that he was glad because he had made her smile. A disturbing thought if there ever was one for him. All of this was disturbing. All of this was wrong.

* * *

White had gone to retrieve their luggage while Max went to the car rental. They argued about who would drive and Max won.

"Now what?" she asked as she steered them through traffic.

"Now, you drive us to Paris and the hotel."

"What's the address?"

"2, rue Gramont in the 2nd district," replied Ames with a slight accent.

"Ah! La résidence Métropole Opéra. Can't stand low class hotel, can we ?"

"Well I have class, and you don't, I have the money and the contacts and you don't." He conveniently forgot that she was the one who found them the clean IDs.

"Ooh! So we're back to trading insult?" There it is was again. The smile in her voice. How could he notice something so humane in her?

"Anyway, how do you know that it's a good hotel?" He scrunched his forehead trying to hide his thoughts.

"It's not a simple hotel, it's a Residence. And a fancy one at that! They don't provide rooms: they provide a 'pied à terre'. A studio room or a 2 room apartment, huge lofts also, if I remember correctly. All with the services of the best four stars hotel, in the best part of the capital."

"How do you know all that?" the question was out of his mouth before he could control his tongue.

"I've lived here for 4 years," she whispered. She didn't really know why she told him this. Years have passed since she had set foot on the French soil. It sent her back to her debut as a cat burglar.

* * *

"_Hey baby girl!"_

"_I'm not a baby girl! I just saved your ass from the cops so better show some respect!" the young girl replied. She was about ten at the time. Months ago she had flown from the foster family she was staying with. Just a few days after the pulse._

"_You've got spirit I like that!" the older man had smiling eyes. She still remembered those smiling eyes._

_She __turned to face the man. He was in his late thirties. He had an accent she never heard before since she entered the underground world._

"_So you're a thief," continued the man._

"_So are you…" the young Max snapped._

"_I didn't say it was a wrong. I was just suggesting that you are still very young, and you've got a lot to learn from a guy like me."_

"_Umph!" she resumed her walking, turning her back on him. Zack would have had her hide for doing that. Never turn your back on your enemy. But she didn't feel like this man was her enemy. "Ten minutes ago, I was the one who saved your arse, so whatever."_

"_You know for a girl you're cocky!"_

_She turned around again, facing him. She shot daggers at him.__ He noticed she was small, and thin, as if she didn't eat regularly. She was probably a run away, fleeing an abusive step father or something of the sort. He wasn't far from the truth._

_The man raised his hands in mock surrender._

"_Okay. Sorry I hurt you feeling young paddawan."_

"_Paddawa what?" Max frowned, repeating the offending word in her head._

"_Paddawan…You know Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker…Ring a bell? Girl where did you live the last decade?"_

_You don't want to know, she thought. And then she went on and said_, "_Whatever? Now stop stalking me!"_

Louis hadn't stop 'stalking' her that night. And the years after that, they had become quite good friends. Louis had brought her home, to France.

* * *

"You lived here? You?" Ames was completely baffled.

"Yeah, so what? You don't believe a freak could live here?" she said in a defensive tone.

"No. I'm just … no…"

"I followed my mentor here. He taught me everything about art and how to steal art. The happiest years of my life."

"Of course," Ames added ironically. "If it was so fun, why did you leave?" White thought she wasn't going to answer.

"Because I wanted to find my family." She finally said.

It was odd that she was confessing those memories to him, Ames White, of all people. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It wasn't a hurtful subject. She just didn't like the way Ames stared at her as he could for the first time, really see her.

"Quit staring will you!"

"I can't believe you lived here!" he exclaimed as he turned his eyes away from her.

"Well get over it. We're almost there." She added.

* * *

"_I'm leaving the States baby girl! I'm going home."_

"_Stop calling me that." Max was bout 12._

_Louis smiled. "You wanna come with me?"_

"_It's not my home."_

"_But you don't have one, do you? Mine could be yours."_

_The young girl furrowed her brow and made her older friend smile again._

"_Ok."_

"_Give me five then!" said Louis enthusiastically._

"_Don't ever do that again!"_

_Louis let out a heart full laugh._

* * *

"Hello."

"Welcome" answered the hostess.

"We booked a suite 2 room," muttered Ames to the woman.

"What?"

"On a réservé une suite à deux chambres," explained Max.

"Oh. Of course, name please."

"White."

"Oh, Mr and Mrs White. You're on the 4th floor. I'm sure you'll like it. The grooms will get your luggage upstairs."

"Thank you."

Though they slipped undetected from the Conclave, from Logan, someone else caught them on their radar the second they landed in Charles de Gaulle Airport.

* * *

"Sir?"

The man lifted his eyes from the documents he was studying.

"We have a call from the team in France. They're receiving a signal of a 4th implant in Paris," said a man with spectacles. He still had his phone in his hand.

"What? Are they sure? It can be some kind of interference…" The older man was in military uniform.

"No there's no doubt sir. It's a 4th implant."

"It's not possible. The only implant we lost was…" the older man clasped his hands in glee. "Finally!"

"It must be the transgenic that stole the implant in Seattle."

"Change the mission for the team in Paris."

"Already done sir."

"Good job! Good job. Soon, we'll have all we need." Years of research and patience were finally paying.

* * *

She couldn't help but scan the room; it was the soldier inbred in her, something she always did the last year. To her 'horror', White had the same reflex. Once they had determined that the room was indeed safe, they went in their respective room. They were undeniably on opposite side, yet, the last weeks had shown them how similar they were.

Looking through the window, she noticed a van of 'Darty' parked across the street. She looked at the time on her cell. Probably doing a delivery, she mused.

Soon it was diner time and Max and Ames found themselves sitting in front of each other in a Cuban restaurant in the 2nd district. She had convinced him to dine at "Mi Cayito".

The entire time she felt like she was being watched. As a result, she kept fidgeting on her chair. She was even neglecting the 'Lechon asado en pua', the pork grilled dish that she had ordered. And it had been one of her favorite dishes when she still lived here.

"What's wrong with you?" Ames finally asked.

"I don't know. Something's off. I need to go to the toilets."

She rose up and went for the toilets. Midway there, she noticed the same van that was parked in front of the hotel, parked next to the restaurant. It was past delivery time. At that moment, she saw three men getting out of the car. She never saw those men of her life but she easily recognized what they were: Reds. And that meant she was dead.

How could she be stupid enough to forget the implant? To forget that it was the same way that Alec had found her at Logan's place when she escaped the second time?

She walked back to their table.

"That was fast…" Ames commented.

"We need to go." She ordered.

"What? I didn't get my desert yet!" he replied.

"We need to go now or we're dead."

She was grateful that he didn't question her further more and followed her out of the restaurant, through the back.

"Don't slow down," she ordered, she had her eye on her watch.

"What, no one's following us. I know how to lose a tail…"

"It doesn't matter. They'll always know where I'll be. As long as I have the implant in my head and unless I die, they'll always find me."

Half an hour later, White knew how she had the implant in her head.

"You should have let the human die," he commented.

"I would never do that."

"You should have. It's going to get you killed one day. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to survive," he spat angrily.

"Like killing your wife for example."

Without hesitation, he answered: "Yes. It was necessary." It was in moments like these that she remembered who he really was. The snake to her mangoose.

"Just like injecting poison in your son," she spat. She wanted to hurt him.

"He had to pass the test! Otherwise, he would have been dead!" he said matter of factly. "What do we do now?"

"We have a small window of time. They need to scan each district; we can buy one or two hours by getting out of Paris. I know someone who could help us. He may have the technology to override the implant's system…"

"Why don't we just fight them?"

"You don't fight the reds, unless you're a red. Trust me they are worst than you, they are stronger than you. And you may have a high threshold of pain, but they don't have a threshold of pain, they don't feel anything, and they're desperate." She paused. "Just keep driving for now."

* * *

The late hour had always been her friend. The time where the moon covered her deeds. She easily got into the fancy apartment of the 5th district, dodged all the traps her old friend had in place.

At the moment, she had a knife right under his neck.

"Wake up Louis," she whispered at his ear.

"2 minutes maman"

"Je ne suis pas ta mère, " Max replied saying that she wasn't his mother.

Slowly the man called Louis opened his eyes.

The man straightened up immediately as he recognized the voice and the face of the person who was threatening him.

The blonde asleep on the other side of the bed, woke up too and started shouting 'oh my God's' in French in a high pitched voice.

"Hey Blondie!" called Max. "Tais toi!" the transgenic added throwing the knife in the blond bimbo's direction.

It only made her scream a lot more. Ames hit her and the woman fell on the floor.

"Couldn't help it…" he said.

Max shrugged and turned to look at Louis.

"Hi Louis!"

"Max ! Qu'est ce que tu fais ici bon sang ? I can't believe you're here!"

"I'm happy to see you too. I always said, I'll pay you a visit one day. So here I am!" she shrugged. She took the place of the blond on the other side of the bed.

"I can't believe my baby girl is back!"

Louis was now about 50, she never really asked his age. He had been her partner in crime for 6 years. He still had his smiling eyes and he still recognized the dashing thief behind the graying hair and the weary muscled.

"I can't believe you're dating a girl young enough to be your daughter." Max threw a brief look at the girl on the floor.

"I never had a daughter. And if I did, her mother never said a word."

"Whatever."

Louis rose up from his bed and put a robe on.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion, but we don't have time." reminded Ames.

"I guess you're not here for a 'visite de courtoisie'."

"That's right."

She cut to the chase by telling him right away what her problem was. Louis didn't know she was a transgenic. But he knew of her past as a burglar. Hell he helped train her. She let him believe it was all about a deal gone wrong. She was supposed to get something for some people but something went wrong. Now the people wanted their money back and they had put the device in her so she couldn't run.

"Wow! Seems like you lived some nice adventures without me, baby girl!" the older man exclaimed.

"So, think you can help me?"

"Yeah, I know someone who could help you." He looked at Ames for the first time. "And who is the man in black?" he finally asked.

"You don't need to know."

"Ok." Now he was intrigued.

At that moment, the blond girl regained consciousness.

"Boo." Max murmured and again, the woman fainted.

"What's her name anyway?" she asked.

"Lola."

"Lola who?"

"Tu crois que je prends le temps de savoir quel est le nom de famille de mes conquêtes d'un soir. She was here for a night. Why would I bother?" he shrugged.

"I didn't remember you being so shallow when I was here." She commented.

"Well, tout le monde change! (everybody change)"

"I guess you're right."

"Come with me."

* * *

Louis led them the lair of Martin 'Main d'argent' (silver hand).

"Alors tu peux les aider?"

-Si je comprends,

-Can you please talk in English, said Ames.

"Right. Correct me if I'm wrong, the implant is made of a special alloy that those how do you call them?"

"Reds"

"Yeah, that the Reds can detect via a specific signal." Martin was a typical tech geek. His all house was tech and ever corner was wired.

"That I already know, but what's your solution." Max was starting to get frustrated. She knew they had to move soon or the Reds were going to close in on them.

"Easy, you die and the implant goes out. Just as you told us."

"Well that is going to be hard, because I don't want to die."

"What I mean, is that we could put you in a coma and unplug the implant safely. No brain activity means, the implant will naturally turn off, right?"

"In theory, but…" said Max with hesitation.

"She's pregnant." Ames announced.

It wasn't hard to see that Louis, and Martin were shocked. Actually, Martin was just a bit surprised, it was Louis who was really shocked.

"Who's the father?" Louis asked looking straight at Ames.

"I am," answered Ames as he read the challenge in Louis' eyes. A mere mortal trying to defy him, a god.

"Louis, you're not my guardian or anything." Max intervened. "And anyway, he's way too strong for you."

"Are you telling me that I'm old?"

"No. I'm telling you that he's stronger than you. So you better sit back in your chair and down a shot of vodka."

Louis did as he was told. Martin cleared his throat.

"I don't think it'll do any harm to the baby. I mean the whole thing will last 5 minutes tops. I have a special product that will accelerate the process."

"You're sure?" she asked.

"No. I'm not."

Ames pulled Max away from Louis and Martin, in the hallway.

"Are you crazy? We don't have time for this." she protested.

"You're going to kill that baby! If you kill it, there'll be no reason for me to keep you alive, because all the clues to my father's whereabouts would be lost!"

She snickered. "Last time I checked it's still my body! And if you want to find your father, you'll need me and not the baby!" she hissed dangerously. That wasn't true. Plus neither of them wanted a repeat performance of what had happened between them.

Ames' mouth opened and closed. Theoretically, it was true. She just needed to be pregnant again, or injected with hormones that would make her body believe that she was pregnant to release the runes.

"It's still dangerous for you," he argued.

"Not like you care," she commented.

"You could lose the baby! Does the prospect of carrying my child is so unbearable?"

She looked in his eyes and saw for the first time a flicker of worry. Was he really worried about her?

"I…" she started but never finished. She took a deep calming breath. "I have to do it. I'm tired of running, and if we have to face the Reds, which I believe, we will, I'd rather have the element of surprise, which I can't have with this bug in my head!" she said with sincerity. "And if it's not the Reds, someone else could find out. And I can't let that happen. Not if I have to raise a child in a few months."

"Uh, you guys!" Martin called.

"What?" barked Ames.

"Some sentinels have spotted the van you described us heading our way, so if you want to do it, we better do it now. ETA 8 minutes."

Max looked at Ames.

He nodded.

She nodded back.

* * *

The first part went without a hitch: Unplugging the implant was fine, but after that she wouldn't wake up. And the worst part was that the Reds were closing on them.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" answered Martin.

"Martin! You have to fix this! You have one minute!" said Louis as he monitored the computer.

"Okay, okay!" he sighed. "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic!"

Refocusing on the task at hand, he electrocuted her.

Immediately, Ames punched him hard.

"She's pregnant!"

"There's no other solution!" Martin said as he nursed his bloody nose.

Thankfully for Martin, Max's eyes fluttered. He scanned her to see if the baby was alright, and smiled brightly.

"He's fine. Well, he or she." Added Martin with a smile. "That's a strong bugger you got there." He commented.

Ames sighed with relief, and without thinking about it, he pulled the transgenic in a bear hug.

"Come on, time to go."

They fled out of the Martin's security perimeter and Max threw the implant in the Seine.

* * *

**Liked it? Hated it? Leave me a little review...**


	4. Haven With No Nuns

Things in Seattle were improving. Without Ames there, the transgenic hunt was in a slow motion. Slowly, TC was organizing itself with Alec as the leader.

In the few last days, it has become a habit for Alec to go there before going to Jam Pony. Actually he was even thinking about moving into one of the apartments that they had renovated. With the money Max had left them and their skills it was easy. Plus, they all were advanced cat burglars and started a little business on the side, though that part didn't particularly please Logan.

* * *

"_You can't do that!" whined Logan._

"_Why can't I? I mean they are already accusing us of every crime perpetuated in this city."_

"_Max wouldn't want you to do this…"_

"_Max…" If only Logan knew. He chuckled. "It's funny you're bringing her in this conversation, now. Two weeks ago you didn't give a shit about her."_

"_Don't you dare…"_

"_Am I high or didn't you meet Max on one of her heist?" Alec added._

"_But that's not the sa…" Alec held up his hand, interrupting the journalist._

"_Just forget it Logan! It's not like you're going to do anything about me? About us? It's not like you're going to run a story on us without hurting Max."_

* * *

They never had been good friends but the reason Logan had come to him first was worrying _him_. Logan had said that Lauren, Ray White's aunt, had lost the kid and that he needed him (or Max if she was anywhere to be found) to track the kid back. He had said no. But if someone had kidnapped Ray, it could only be White. And if White found his son, that meant he didn't need Max anymore. And if he didn't need Max alive anymore she might already be dead. He needed to believe that she was alright. Something else was going on, something was telling him that she was still alive.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a shrill sound: his phone.

"Alec's phone, you're turn to speak."

"Hum…Am I talking to Mr…McDowell?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Mr Brown, Ms Guevara's banker. She left specific orders to contact you in case there would be any problem with her accounts."

"Accounts? I don't understand…I…she allowed me to use the money on her account…"

"No…I mean, of course. You're authorized to use that money. I wanted to tell you that there has been some cash withdrawals on her second account. It's not really hers. It's complicated but she told me to contact you if anything odd happened."

"She has a second account?" he questioned.

"Yes. Actually over the years, she has become quite rich. She usually never touches that account. Not for herself. Over the years, she made withdrawals to help others. Especially, these last years. But this is different. It's not the way she usually does things."

"You said something about cash withdrawals?"

"Yes. Half of the amount that was on the account. It had been use to open another account."

"For who? The other account." He clarified.

"Raymond White."

Alec didn't expect that, but at least it told him that she was still alive.

"Hello? Mr McDowell? You're still there?"

"Uh…yes."

"What do you want me do to? Block the account? I know that it's quite possible to forge papers, but it seems to me that all the papers I have here are real." inquired the banker. "The money that was withdrawn…it's not a fortune, but one could live comfortably with it during half a year."

"No. No, don't freeze the account. Listen, I'll try to contact Ms Guevara. I'll ask her if she knows anything about it."

"Ok. I'll call you back in a few days. Oh, Mr McDowell. One last thing, my bank in LA was robbed last night. I presume Ms Guevara told you about our quid pro quo."

"Yes, she did. I'll send someone. Don't worry."

"Thank you Mr McDowell. Have a nice day."

His first reaction was the F word. The second was to dial the number Max had left him.

* * *

"You sure it's safe here?" asked Ames as he looked around Louis' safe house. The paintings, sculptures displayed around the house.

"Yeah. Don't worry. We'll be fine."

"You sure you didn't leave any clues at the hotel." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I may have escaped in 09, but I know the drill. I have everything that I need here," she said nodding toward her backpack.

The house was next to the Marne, one of the tributary of the Seine. Besides the basement, it was a regular house.

"Tell me, how rich your friends are?"

"They are the cream of the thieves. Well were a few years ago. And they knew when to stop. Louis always told us quote to steal with cleverness unquote." She raised her brow at him. "Relax, they're pros ok. His family is in the thieving business for four generations now so we don't need to worry about anything. No one knew of our connection and no one's going to speak. No one knows we're here. For now."

Ames seemed to hesitate before asking her a question. It wasn't like he cared about her feelings right? She didn't mean anything. The baby meant something for him, but she was still a pain in his ass, the one who took his son away from him. Again, he was repeating to himself that he wasn't supposed to care and that he didn't. Maybe if he repeated it enough times, he'd start to believe it.

Her next words prevented him to follow his train of thought.

"You wanna ask a question, just do it."

"How did you end up with that man? I mean how did you meet?" he finally inquired.

She smiled. Lately, he found out that her smiles made him warm and he almost responded to it. Almost.

"I was on a heist, I remember I heard someone at the bar talking about paintings, museum and a Degas that was worth half a million. My fifth job. It was two years after the Pulse so art thieving was just booming. I needed money, and the Degas was easy for an X5 even at my age."

She remained silent a second.

"Little did I know that someone was already on the same job. I got to the painting before him but he triggered an alarm…"

"Louis…"

She nodded.

"I saved his ass. I still don't know why…"

"That's because of my French charm baby girl," said a voice behind her. She smiled at the old man.

"Alors? Quelles sont les nouvelles à Paris?" (So? What are the news in Paris ?)

-Ils recherchent une jeune fille qui correspond curieusement à ta description et un homme d'une trentaine d'années qui pourrait passer pour le jumeau de ton copain, (They are looking for a girl that looks exactly like you and a man in his thirties that could be the twin of your boyfriend)

-Ce n'est pas mon copain, (He's not my boyfriend) She frowned slightly.

-Alors qui est – il ?( Who is he then ?) the older man replied eye brow lifted.

-C'est compliqué…(It's complicated.)

-Ok. I won't push. But you ought to stay here a few days till Martin loses their tail.

-Tell him to be careful."

"We have to stay here?"

"It's just for e few more days White." she started.

"You don't understand, we don't have much time anymore!" he yelled.

"I don't understand! Because you didn't bother to explain exactly what we were doing here, in France! What I understand though is that if I set a foot outside this house I'm dead! So we'll stay here as long as it's necessary. Then we'll move and find your father."

She stomped out of the room.

* * *

She was about to take a bit of her sandwich when her phone went off. It took her a few seconds to recognize the ring because she never used it.

"Hello?"

"Max!" came the exited voice of Alec.

"Alec? Is there a problem?"

"No…yes…" he replied with hesitation. She straightened up as Alec never hesitated.

"What are you babbling about?" she snapped a bit roughly.

"How come you had a second account and you didn't tell me!" he finally said. He still was a bit miffed.

She smiled at his reaction.

"Because it's not important. And it's the interest that I have to pay to friends of mine. So it's not really mine."

"Well…whatever. Mr Brown called, said that they had been cash withdrawals."

"Yes, half of the amount."

"So you do know!" he confirmed.

"I expected your call for like two days ago. I thought you wouldn't call anymore."

"Mr Brown just called…So you already know everything?"

"Yes I do."

This changed everything. He might have had his suspicions, but the truth was still hard to swallow. What was she doing?

"Max what are you doing? I mean do you know what name have been used to open the account?"

"Yes I know."

"Logan is worried sick about the kid."

"Logan is only worried about his ass."

Alec chuckled. He liked this Max that talked trash of Logan.

"It's none of my business anyway, I mean you do what you want with your money…"

"You're right," she added. Max knew how much he wanted to ask that question.

"How did you find him again?" he asked.

"None of your business."

"You know during a moment, when Logan told me Lauren lost the kid, I really thought he had killed you."

"He wouldn't do it."

"Because of his kid?" Alec's tone was sceptic at best.

"No. Because the runes won't let him."

Alec sighed. "Really Max, you're in no condition to fight. I still could go there wherever the hell you are…"

"No. I'm fine. Everything's fine." Max paused. "How are things in TC? And how's Joshua?"

"Great. He's doing well. Things are looking up for us. Thanks for the money and that is a thank you from every residents of Terminal City."

"Does that mean that you're moving there?" she asked curious.

"Well I've been thinking about it. Sorry but I have to go now. You sure ok?"

"I'm always alright. We're survivors Alec, or did you forget?"

He smirked, she too and they both hung up.

* * *

She was glad Alec called. It was a good distraction from the thoughts going through her head. Ames must be battling through the same thoughts. Living together, under the same roof humanized the enemy. Especially since they were the only ones in the house: Louis only dropped by the first day. They discovered things about each other: he cooked, she snored. As the weeks passed, they grew accustomed to each other, and fought less.

She often found him in the living room studying the pictures of the runes that had appeared on her skin. They still hadn't talk about the hug he gave her at Martin's. The rule was nothing happened.

She still wondered why she had asked one of her former contacts to find Ray and take care of him until she came back. It wasn't like her to do that. And what was she going to do with the kid when she came back?

One morning Ames interrupted her breakfast. He looked jovial, almost happy. The smile on his face brought one on hers, before she scrunched it away. Someone who could smile like that, couldn't be heartless? How could someone heartless be happy anyway?

"45…uh…Max." It was the second time that he called her Max. "I think I know where to find my father."

"I thought you already knew before we got here," she said. Sarcasm was her friend around him. Prevented them to get too close to one another.

He dismissed her remark and went on, "Monastery of Bouzy-La-Forêt…"

"That's near Orléans. We won't have to travel far. Plus I can't sleep in the car, and as you know, now I need my ten hours sleep."

"Pregnancy really doesn't fit you Max," the familiar spat.

Max simply stuck her tongue out to him.

"Do that again and I'll cut it."

She rolled her eyes at him. Then stopped, this was flirting. This wasn't good!

"We're leaving tomorrow!" she called after him as he left the kitchen. "Martin called, we're in the clear!"

* * *

They had left Paris as soon as "Max woke up". In fact, Ames carried her to the car at 08 AM when he had enough of her sleeping. In her condition she slept until nine, but he just couldn't wait anymore. So he put her in the car and drove until he reached Orleans. She felt good in his arms, but he didn't let himself enjoy that. Very carefully, he deposited her in the car.

He had found it curious that a soldier like her didn't wake up when he entered her room. But maybe that was because of the pregnancy. He had lied the day before when he had told her that pregnancy didn't fit her. She was two months pregnant now, and he liked every minute of it: watching her rubbing her belly unconsciously, smiling to herself. He found himself watching her, looking for her company. Still he was afraid that she would lose the baby. Just like Wendy had lost her two first unborn child. It was the rule after all. He was worried and had every reasons to be. The night they plugged out the implant, he had resigned himself to lose the baby. But she woke up. She fought and lived.

She was like that: always surprising him. He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts as Max slowly woke. For someone who couldn't sleep in a car, she had slept the entire trip. He smiled.

"Where are we?" her voice was still sleepy.

"Monastery of Bouzy-La-Forêt," he answered.

"What?" She eyed him carefully, and then shot a glance outside the car. They were indeed in front of the Monastery. Again, her eyes were back at him.

He could easily hear the wheels turning in her head, and knew the moment, she took a decision.

"Before you start babbling, I knocked on your door but you didn't wake up. For a great soldier, I'm wondering how you managed to stay alive all those years."

She whacked him on the head.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Shut up. I wasn't going to say anything." She looked pensively outside the car. "You're sure we're at the right address?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I know how to read a map."

"Well it's sure a weird monastery cause there are cameras all over the place and look at the gate."

They both got out of the car and Ames push a talk button.

"Oui?"

Ames was going to talk, but Max stepped in.

-Nous sommes des pélerins. Nous venons des Etats-Unis, said Max with a American accent. (We are pilgrins. We're from the US of A) He knew for a fact that she didn't have an accent when she talked.

-Oui?

-Nous aurions aimer séjourner dans votre monastère pendant quelques temps. (We would have liked to stay in your monastery for a while)

-C'est-à-dire que nous n'accueillons des touristes que la semaine prochaine. (Well, we'll only accomodate tourists next week.)

-S'il vous plait. Nous venons de loin. (Please. We're from afar.)

A pause.

Finally, they heard a buzz and the metallic 10" gate opened for them.

"Really weird. Monasteries always welcome strangers. Especially nowadays." Max commented.

"Well, there was the pulse…"

"Not here, and not from these people. I've lived here for four years. And I can tell you that sometimes it's good to have a monastery near to hide when you have the French secret services on your arse."

* * *

They found themselves ushered in a room with a little desk, two chairs and in the presence of a red-headed woman in her late twenties. They didn't encounter a single nuns since they stepped inside the compound.

"Hi!"

"Um…hi!" replied Max.

"You must be American. I heard your voice over the intercom. I thought it would be easy for you if we spoke in English."

"Of course," the raven haired transgenic replied with a smile. Ames wasn't making any effort to more pleasant.

"So. Um, you want to stay here for a while right?"

"Yes," said Max. "We would like that very much."

"It'll depend. If we find what we're looking for," cut in White.

The woman looked him straight in the eye the familiar wanting to assert what he meant by that.

"What he means is that we're expecting our first child. We want him to be fine and all, so we thought a journey to this monastery would do nothing but good."

"Oh. That's cute. In fact you're not the only ones in that situation. This monastery has accommodated future mothers for centuries. They say that the water here was blessed by the Holy Mother, so that now all the women who drinks the water carry their pregnancy to term without a single problem. You must have tried many times before. "

Max blushed thinking back at their encounter.

"Yeah," White added seeing the pretty transgenic blushing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even tell you my name. I'm Andrea," she said.

"I'm Eva and this is John." Max replied.

"Welcome Eva and John. Come. I'll show you to your room. You can stay as long as you want. After all we're in a monastery, and all strangers are welcome."

* * *

"Well, here's your room. The schedule to the mass is on this sheet," the red-headed girl informed them as she gave the said sheet to Max. "Don't worry, you do not have to go to all of them. But we're in a monastery, so that's how we live. In prayer."

"Thank you." Max replied and then Andrea was gone.

"I don' t like her one bit," muttered Ames as he entered the room. It was rather opulent for a monastery room though it was rather small too. A queen size bed lay right under the only window of the room. In front of it was a chest of drawers and near, a small table and two chairs.

"We're in a monastery that's how we live," Ames said mimicking her.

Max smirked despite herself.

He dropped their bags without ceremony as Max closed the door behind her.

"Honey would you please give me the brown bag?" Max addressed Ames.

'Honey? Had she gone crazy.' He was about to retort with a snide remark but the glare she sent his way was enough to stop him. Reluctantly, he handed her the bag.

"Thanks."

She took out a little black device and turned it on. Then she pulled out the computer Louis had given her and turned it on also.

"So that's why it was so heavy?" commented the familiar.

"Oh, come on! For you and me it's nothing."

"Why did you call me that?"

"It's because this room is bugged!" she whispered in his ear. "And that device," she added about the little device. "Will prevent them from hearing or seeing anything."

"Won't they come here in any minute because they lost their signals." If their close proximity bothered him, he didn't show.

"They won't do anything. Believe me. Because right now, they just don't hear anything. Their experiencing interferences. Nothing that would indicate them that we are messing with their system."

"So we've got to keep the married couple act on." He whispered back.

"Yeah. Until tomorrow. I'll record us and feed it to their system. And tomorrow, I'll be able to see what they see."

"Won't they find it curious that we won't change clothes?"

"From what I saw, they record in black and white, so if you wear the same type of thing regularly : they won't question. Plus I won't always turn that device on…"

"Seems like a plan. How did you know?"

"Louis gave me some tools, and very special phone. It tells me immediately if a room is bugged or not." She jingled the phone in front of him. "Isn't this great?"

* * *

The day after, she started to look at all cameras around the monastery and found three others rooms bugged the same way as theirs. Only one was unoccupied. In the one of the room there was a blond woman about fifty year old and in the other one, there was man, barely in his thirties.

They were monitoring every cameras they had in the compound. Hour after hour, they noticed that there really weren't any nuns or priests around.

At 21:58, someone was knocking on the door of the young man. He opened the door to let Andrea in.

"Hello Mr Carter," greeted the red head.

"Hi."

She closed the door behind her, and pulled a gun with a silencer on him. She shot him straight between the eyes. Then, she got out of the room not even looking back.

"What the hell was that?" Ames muttered behind her. She ignored him and zoomed in on the dead man.

"He's a familiar," she announced. "Well was."

"What? No! He can't be…" People dressed as monks entered the room and started to clean up.

She pointed to the screen; there on the guy's forehand was the familiar's brand. The twisted caduceus.

"No! No!" he started to pace furiously.

"You can deny all you want. But I think you just brought us to your death. We're in the lion's den. Are you sure about how you read the clues to get us here? Maybe we weren't supposed to come here."

"Who…Who do you think she is?"

"Oh, the Big Agent Special White is asking for my opinion. Me, a transgenic?" She paused holding her laughter. "I need to savour this."

"Get over yourself!" Was all Ames replied.

"I think they are familiars…" she pondered aloud.

"No. It's impossible!"

"Think about it. She knows how to kill a familiar with minimum damage to herself. And the lead to your father stopped here. I think they're on your father's side; maybe they are like your brother, abandoned because they couldn't pass the tests. The question now is: when will they come to kill you!"

"This can't be real! And what was one of us doing here? This is a nightmare! We were supposed to find my father, not his followers."

"He's probably following the same lead as us."

"What I don't get is how they found that lead. He arrived before us, so he can't have followed us. How did the Council of the Conclave find this place? Why didn't they say anything to me?"

"You don't honestly believe that your little conclave never hid anything from you." Max added to spoil his mood even more.


	5. Guilty Ones

She was more worried than she let on and when later that night, she left their room for a little walk around the monastery, she hoped she'd find a way out for them both. Because at the moment, whether she liked it or not, Ames White her arched nemesis, was the only protection the baby and her had. And though, she hated to admit it, her animal part recognized him as an alpha male that could protect them.

With much needed stealth, she moved around the monastery using the night and the darkness to cover herself. It was so easy for her. Silently, she visited all the parts of the monastery. Around 4 in the morning, she heard unusual noises coming from the garden; and being the cat that she was, she went to investigate. Her curiosity always got the better of her.

She found Andrea and four men dressed as monks surrounding her said protector: namely Ames White.

"What is a lapping dog of the Conclave doing so far from home?" asked Andrea not hiding her hatred.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Observing them from the dark area she was standing in, she gave Ames credit for effort.

Andrea tssktssked.

"We know who, should I say what you are!" stated the barking red haired woman. "The only thing that prevented us from killing you is your name and the woman with you." A pause. "Who is she?" One thing I know, she's not a familiar. She doesn't move like one and she's more intelligent than all those robots the Conclave sent us."

"She's no one. A mere cover." He shrugged.

"Nice try." Andrea hit Ames hard.

Max thought the same. Her late at night walk confirmed her intuitions on Andrea and her people. They were really Sandeman's followers. Coming to a decision quickly, she stepped in the conversation.

"I'm a transgenic," she whispered. And she prayed that her guts were right, that they were what she thought they were. And if she was right, they would hear what she just said and turn their heads toward her. Andrea and the monks did just as she predicted.

She took a step into the light.

"And I think I found what I've been looking for," the raven haired transgenic added.

"If you're a transgenic what are you doing with _him_?" Andrea spat. The red hair was really angry toward Ames. It wasn't just the fact that he was a familiar. She had witnessed Andrea dispose of a familiar just a day before and there were no feelings when she pulled the trigger. This was different. This screamed of revenge.

"He's the father of my child. And he led me to you. We would like to meet his father."

It was an understatement to say that the renegade familiar was baffled. Andrea looked back and forth between Ames and Max. She shook her head in disbelief, and took a long calming breath. She fixed her eyes on Max and asked: "Show me your barcode."

Max complied, turning around and lifting her hair up model like.

"452." Andrea whispered.

"She's the one," said one of the monks.

Andrea nodded.

"You can stay. But he has to die."

"No." She had spoken without really thinking. It was just her instincts that was telling her killing Ames was wrong. That she had to preserve him.

"No? But he hunts your _kind_!" Andrea exclaimed.

"_My_ kind will be fine. Let him live."

Ames was right, she was bossy around everyone. She was born to be a leader, born to lead an army. There was more power in her voice than in one of the second year graduate familiars he'd met. But he knew that she just saved his life. He was not a man who liked debts, but he wasn't either in a situation to complain.

Max was about to add something but she fell on the floor because of cramps. A few seconds later, there were blood on her crotch.

"No!" she said in a croaked voice.

Immediately, Ames was by her side, ignoring the monks' threat.

"I'm losing the baby," she stated with tears in her eyes.

"Carry her to the lab." Andrea ordered the monk. "And throw him out of here."

"No!" Max shouted. "No!" Despite her fear, her shout wasn't desperate, it was full of order.

That made the monks pause.

"Alright then. Carry her in their room. Ask someone from the lab to join us there."

A monk fled toward a building in the east garden at a fast pace.

* * *

She had miscarried. The monks and Andrea had the decency to leave them alone. Max was still in a hospital gown laying on the bed. Ames was seated in one of the corner of the room.

"I…4…Max…" He took a deep breath. He wanted to say something but what could he say? "I'm sorry," he finally said. That was not enough, he knew from past experiences that it was not enough to say sorry. Living the same thing two times when he was with Wendy didn't make it any less hard. But at that time, he didn't care. He didn't care for Wendy's feeling. He knew that the third one will be the right one. She had given him Ray after all.

But with Max it was different. Because along the way, he found himself caring about her, and how she took things. And her giving him the silent treatment was nerve racking. She was probably blaming him.

Andrea choose that very moment to usher herself in the room.

"Our lab tech took some of your blood and some of your amniotic fluid. He wants to know what caused the miscarriage." For the first time since they met her, Andrea showed some uneasiness. "He thinks that it wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it's the normal pattern," Ames intervened. There was comfort in knowing it was unavoidable. That meant it wasn't their fault.

"What do you mean?" asked Max finally uttering some words.

"I don't know. They're still looking into it." Andrea shrugged. Then she started to shift on her foot again. "What do you want us to do…with…the…you know…foetus."

For a moment, Max looked like she spaced out a little.

"Burn him. I don't want anyone to use him in their research or anything."

Andrea nodded following her argument.

"But now is the time for White to go."

"I already said no to that. He has the right to mourn his child just like I do. Leave him alone."

Andrea's eyes bulged out but she muttered a 'yes'.

"One more question," called Max as Andrea had her hand on the doorknob.

"Yes?"

"Sandeman," the name a question in itself.

"I'm sorry I can't help you with that. He left a week ago. All I know he's that he went back to the US. But he told us you'd come. That's all I know. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more."

* * *

Somehow, Andrea managed to find a urn to put the baby in. She handed it to Max.

"Thank you for everything," said Max to the red hair girl. They were going to stay in contact though, now, she knew Andrea was going to move her compound elsewhere.

"I wish you luck. You're going to need it."

Max nodded and gave her phone to Andrea.

"Keep it. I'll contact you," the transgenic said before she engulfed herself in the car. How they didn't kill each other during their ride to the airport, neither could recall.

Several hours later, she landed on the American soil again and Alec was there to welcome her. Before Ames could ask her: "What now?" she had disappeared among the crowd.

* * *

"Max." She didn't even acknowledge his presence. It has been days since she had come back to Seattle. The only decision she took was to move to Terminal City. And she told him that she didn't want to talk to anyone. She lived just across Alec's apartment now.

He reached their floor and sighed as he saw the lunch tray he had delivered for her. It was untouched. He looked at his door with longing but without hesitation, he went into Max's apartment. They were supposed to share apartments because the housing was still scarce around Terminal City, but Max's attitude had scared away her roommates.

"It's been 13 days. And you said nothing except, "I'll move to TC and don't tell anyone I'm here.", the dark blond transgenic mimicked. He had hoped to see the fire in her eyes. But it was to no avail. She kept the urn in her hands day and night.

Everyone at TC was starting to wonder what was wrong with the raven transgenic. But Alec hadn't slipped one word about her.

He went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You need to talk about it."

"It! It's not a it! It was a baby! My baby!" That was the first time she had raised her voice on him. He took that as a good sign. At least she was reacting.

Slightly taken aback at first, Alec continued nonetheless. "Then you need to talk about your baby."

He looked at her as she avoided his eyes.

"I miss the old Max. Everyone misses you. Joshua too. A lot of women miscarry…" he tried.

"But I'm not a normal person." It was barely a whisper and he wasn't sure if he heard right. "I have no junk DNA. What normal person doesn't have junk DNA! We…I…I'm supposed to be perfect. I'm supposed to pass on my genes. It was my fault…"

"No! No! It wasn't! It's the normal pattern for familiars."

"Yes. But I am a transgenic." Her tone made Alec pause.

"You know something I don't." He stated.

She finally looked at him.

"Someone over there analyzed my amniotic fluid."

"And?" He wanted to push her. He wanted to know everything about her trip and what had happened. He especially wanted to know about what had happened between her and White.

* * *

"_You're carrying a virus?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_You tried to cure it?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_The lab geek who did your mix lady did something wrong. Cause not only the virus mutated again, but it's starting to…attack you…Well your blood cell."_

"_How come I don't feel any symptoms?" she asked._

"_Because you have no junk DNA. The foetus was the weakling in your body. And naturally the virus turned toward it. It'll prevent you from carrying to term any pregnancy."_

"_Shit! Where did you get that virus?" questioned Andrea._

"_Manticore's last gift to me."_

* * *

"Then you must find someone to cure the virus and fast," decided Alec. He was going through his rooster of contact in his head.

"I'm mourning Alec. One or few more days won't change anything. Because the simple truth is, I lost my baby! And no one. No one can give him back to me."

Alec shut his mouth. Fine she needed time to mourn, he'd give her that. But she also needed to live, for the others. Like OC, Sketchy, Joshua. And him. He'll giver her two more days.

"I'll get back to my never ending quest of finding a cure when I'll accept he's dead." She looked defeated and he felt guilty.

"Still it's not your fault. It's Renfro's. And she's dead."

He was about to leave but he turned around to ask her a question. Max still had her eyes on him.

"Anything else?"

He hesitated for a second. "You kept saying him…"

"I don't know for sure if the baby was going to be a girl or a boy, but I felt like it was a boy. I know in my heart it was going to be a boy."

* * *

Looking at the screen with an annoyed expression, Dix raised his voice so Alec would come and see.

"Hey! We've got a norm at the gate!" he yelled. "And Mole's on watch." Dix added after a moment.

Alec smirked knowing that the lizard guy hated norms. He also knew who the norm was.

"_I want to see Alec!" yelled the norm on the camera._

Alec finally looked at the screen and recognized the norm, confirming his intuition.

Clenching his jaw, he said, "Let him in. Tell the X8-unit 6 that they're having a live exercise now, with the paint balls we got last night."

Dix let out a laugh.

* * *

It takes 10 minutes to get to the Command centre. Not that long actually but, they made Logan take the long road. Mole had given him the instructions and opened the gate. So during 10 minutes Logan had been the live target of the X8s. Dix, Luke and several other transgenic were watching as the norm was running and trying to get away from the shooters but didn't really succeed.

* * *

Loud cheers of transgenic slowly enveloped the apartment. At first she ignored it, but soon the cheers became a loud roaring happy sound.

Her mind was still on what Alec had told her earlier.

"_Still, it's not your fault. It's Renfro's. And she's dead."_

Yes, it was that fake blond's fault. And Lydecker's. And Logan's. Logan? What does he have to do with that?

"_Well, for starters, if it weren't for your quid pro quo Zack would have never been recaptured. He would have never talked about Tinga and the others. Renfro would have never found about Tinga and her son, and your sister would be alive!"_

She shook her head, but she started to think. How many times she had wanted to stop doing those EO missions. How many times she wanted to tell Logan to forget about their quid pro quo so that she could get on with her life. Then maybe all the problems that had happen a year ago wouldn't have happened. She should have been more firm. But Alec was right: she was blind when it came to the matters of her 'family' and friends.

Her mind was reeling. And the noise was getting louder. Her curiosity got the better of her and she got on her feet and went to the window. She almost didn't recognize him, but straining her eyes, she recognized the spectacled man running like a girl toward the Command Centre. She let out a laugh.

'What is he doing here?' she then thought angrily. She knew that Alec would have never called the man if she hadn't asked for it first. So what was he doing here?

* * *

Logan arrived at the command centre completely 'painted'. Alec barely managed to hold back his laughter but with everyone present laughing, it was hard not to. The older painted man walked up the cat walk to talk to Alec and waited until the X5 calm down.

That took a good half hour. Finally, Alec cleared his throat.

"I want to see her. When she'll know what you've been doing here…"

Alec was about to laugh again but Logan's words made it die in his throat.

"And what exactly have I been doing Logan? Huh? Apparently you still don't get, so let me be clear with you: she's the one who told me to do all of this! Not that I need her permission for anything but she knows everything that's been happening around Terminal City!" the X5 replied with anger. It was time to dot the I's and cross the T's with the journalist.

"I want to see her. Someone spotted her at the airport."

"You mean, you were spying on me, and your little spy told you that I found her." Alec managed to remain calm though all he wanted to do was to smash the man's skull on the wall. "Take my word on this Logan. She doesn't want to see you."

A glob of paint fell from his head on the floor and Alec resumed his laughing just like everyone else in the room. Then it grew quiet and both Alec and Logan turned to see who entered the building.

"He's right. I don't want to see you." Max said coldly. "I don't even know what you're doing here." She had debated a long time with herself if she was ready for this confrontation, and she decided that now was good as any other time.

"Max...I…"His initial joy as he spotted her through the paint was stopped short by the anger he felt directed at him.

"All of this…All of the things that have happened to me the last year was your fault!"

"Max?" Logan had now a puzzled expression on his face, but with all the paint on his face he looked more like a sad clown.

"You! You!" She was having a hard time getting her temper in check. "You are the reason why they inoculated me with that stupid virus."

"Max…I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. All you care about is 'the good fight'! You don't even have the right to be here!" And with that she stomped out of the building.

Her outburst was like a cold shower for the command centre. That was the first time that she got out of her apartment. Usually, Joshua or Alec delivered her meals and she remained in her apartment doing nothing but laying on her bed with the urn close to her.

* * *

In another part of town, Ames wasn't doing that good. Alone holed up in his apartment with no one to talk to, he was starting to go crazy.

If only he had Ray. But Max, no 452 had to take his son away. And it was her fault that the baby had died. No. It wasn't her fault. As much as he would like to think that she was the one responsible, the only one that was guilty was him, and his father.

When he had come back to Seattle, things were different. He wasn't cleared for certain things, though his boss thought he didn't know he knew about those. Now, he was the one 'working' for Otto. Otto for God's sake! A guy who couldn't even do a simple thing as put gas in a car! Gee! What was wrong with the world? The Men, he answered to himself. The norms, the humans! The meek! He spat on the word as he thought about it.

But he knew that they didn't trust him. It was true that he had been careless before he left for his supposed 'holidays'. Now he was a simple agent. But he didn't care, he was spending more and more time trying to find his son. And he had a lead on the sister of Wendy.

That's why he was packing now.

Six hours later, he was on the doorstep of Lauren's apartment. Without knocking, he entered the apartment.

The noise woke Lauren but before she could wipe the sleep from her eyes, Ames had her in a choke hold.

"Where's my son?"

She could barely breathe and he was tightening his hold more.

"Breathe…"she managed to choke. She was trying to pry open his hand.

Ames threw her across the room and repeated his question. "Where. Is. My. Son."

"He's not here. He's not with me." She said rubbing her sore throat. "Someone took him about a month ago."

So he was indeed alive.

"Who?"

"I don't know!"

Ames sighed dramatically and muttered: "You don't know? How can that be?"

"I don't know. I don't know."

He gave her credit for her courage: Wendy would have probably started crying by now. He took a long breath and pulled her on her feet with his hand on her throat. Slowly, he squeezed her throat harder and lifted her off the ground.

"You're going to tell me what you know. I ask the question, you answer them. Understood."

Lauren nodded with difficulty.

Without any warning, he released her and she fell hardly on the floor. She coughed and tried to regain her footing.

"Now, who took my son?" He threw her across the room again.

"I don't know." This time she was rubbing her right ankle. "I really don't know. I thought no one knew where we were. But this guy arrived one day, and he took Ray."

It was maybe the Conclave. No. It couldn't be. That would mean that they thought he was alive, but they thought Ray was too weak to survive. They tried to convince him that his son had probably died in the hours after 452 kidnapped him.

"One thing I know, it wasn't one of you."

"Oh." Ames raised his eye brow. "And how would you know that? Uh? What do you know about me?"

"I know what you are." It seemed to him that she had spit the words. "And that guy was human like me. Not a monster, an animal."

Funny he thought, he thought the same about Max and her kind.

"And what am I?" he said smugly.

She snorted in a 'Don't think I'm an idiot!' way.

"He warned me about you before I went to get Ray. So I bought a gun." The 'he' was probably Eyes Only.

"So?"

"So…when that man came I shot him. The guy who brought me Ray told me that you didn't feel any pain. Well that guy did."

"It doesn't make sense."

"Tell me about it," she commented. "I contacted the EO network but they don't know anything either.

"What would a norm would do with my son?"

"Ever heard of slavery? You know nowadays they kidnap many children and send them to some mine or something like that. There was such a thing as the Pulse who triggered all those kind of commerce," she continued. "Not that it didn't exist before, but…"

"Shut up!" he yelled.

"That's the only thing that makes sense now." She said.

What if that bitch was right? No, she can't. She couldn't be right. He would find his son. Whether she was right or not, right now, all that mattered was that his son was alive! He would find him.

But now, he had no clues again as to where look for his son.

"You're going to kill me." It was a statement.

"No."

That wasn't logic. He was supposed to come here, get the information he needed and kill her. Yet now, he didn't want to kill her.

So that's what he said: "I don't want to kill you." And he left leaving a dumbfounded Lauren behind him.

* * *

He was back in Seattle again, in his apartment. He dropped his bag near the door. The minute he put his keys down, the phone went off.

"This is White."

"I need to talk to you," said a female voice in the phone.

Was it who he thought it was? He didn't even wonder how she got the phone number. She wouldn't be who she was if she couldn't do that. He smiled. It felt good to hear her voice again.

"It's Max." the voice continued.

"I know," he snapped.

"I…thought that maybe…It's just that I was going to the needle with the baby…"

"The baby is dead Max."

"I know!" she yelled. "I know," she repeated more calmly. "I…I like that place…and I thought that maybe I would spread the ashes there…"

A silence.

"And I thought that maybe you would like to go there with me. I'll be there tomorrow at midnight. If you want to be there…"

"I'll be there."


	6. A Friend Indeed

She was putting her tank top on when she heard the steps on the stairs. She waited for the telltale jingle of keys and paused for a second. Reassured that it was Alec she resumed putting on her clothes. She proceeded to put the urn in a backpack and went to sit on the bed and put her boots on.

As usual, he didn't knock. Passing the living room and the kitchen, he went into her room: he was a man on a mission.

"Is it true? Dix said you paid him a visit last night?" He asked without preamble.

"Yeah." She was more calmed and determined than he thought she would be.

"He said you were searching for background information on a certain special Agent Ames White."

"I needed his phone number, so?"

She still hadn't looked up at him and was taking her time tying her boots.

"So? So! Look at me!" Alec barked. She immediately straightened her back and looked at the transgenic in front of her.

"Why do you want to hurt yourself?" For the first time since she came back from Paris she really looked at him. And she saw the pain and the tiredness in his eyes. The compassion in his eyes almost got to her. But she knew he couldn't understand even if she explained what had happened. Only _he_ would because he had lived the same thing.

'Why didn't fell I in love with Alec?' she wondered. 'Everything would have been so much easier.' She buried the question in the depth of her mind and answered him. "He can understand. Don't worry, he won't hurt me."

"What can he understand that I can't? or that Cindy couldn't…I don't know…share with you?" Alec started to pace "And how do you know he won't hurt you? For all we know, it could be a trap! You told me yourself, as soon as you lost the child you lost the runes!" He stopped in front of her again, staring her down, hoping that she wouldn't go through with her plans.

He spoke the truth. But she needed to believe that for one night, they could be more than enemies. They had been that during the time they spent together.

"I just hope you know." She uttered as an explanation.

"No I don't know Max! Tell me what are you hoping for? To be killed? Is that what you want?" His voice rose again.

"No. I want to live! I want…" she stopped. "I wanted that child Alec, and I hope that one day I could be a mother." She reached out to him. "But for now, I really need to do this. So let me go. I'll be fine."

He stepped away from her and she knew he wouldn't try to follow her. At least, if he did, it will be at a distance.

She paused at the door.

"Trust me. I'll be back in the morning. I haven't been wrong about him yet, have I?" She was trying to reassure him though she knew it wouldn't work. Alec couldn't understand because he wasn't there. Because he didn't knew Ames the way she did. 'The way she did' do you really think you know him, her inner voice said.

"There's a first time for everything. You could be wrong this time." He said matter of factly.

She shrugged.

"I already have an escape plan." She grabbed the back pack and added. "Nothing's going to go wrong. See you in the morning."

* * *

On the other side of town, White was wondering if he was going to go or not. He was also struggling with what he was going to do with his knowledge of 452, Max's whereabouts. If he gave her location to the council he would be back on their good graces: his disappearing act didn't go well with his handlers. He had told them that he had decided to use his time out to check on leads about Ray. That had been his plan he was forced to take a leave of absence. If he delivered Max to them, or to the bureau for that matter, he would be back on his colleagues' and his fellow familiars' good sides. On the other hand, if he was honest with himself, he was curious about her, about her well being. He was curious to know if outside their forced time together, they could be something other than enemies. He was curious about her, about them. One thing was sure: he was going to do something about that knowledge.

* * *

Max had arrived early on the needle to prepare her surprise. And now, it had been two hours that she was perched on the needle waiting for Ames. She actually knew he was behind her. She'd felt his presence as soon as he got out of the staircase. He had arrived for ten minutes now, but he didn't want to come forward. She didn't push him or indicate that she knew he was there, looking at her. Just like her he needed to be ready and she understood that.

Finally he stepped out in the light, his mouth open to say something but she beat him to that.

"I was starting to think that you would stay there the entire night." There was a smile in her voice and he remembered their time together.

It didn't surprise him that she knew he was there.

"I wasn't ready."

He had observed her since he arrived on top of the needle. Her hair like a black flag that the wind was playing with. Tonight, she had a long black leather coat that he never saw her with. Not that he noticed such things during the different encounters they had these last months, and their little sojourn in France, he told himself. Everything in her was mystery, even for herself, he knew, but somehow, there was a light in her. It was quite a contradiction, and he knew it, but it was how he saw her, a mixture of light and darkness. And a power that should be reckoned.

"I know." Max nodded.

It was her turn to look at him. Forgotten the laid back outfit he'd sported during their little time in France, he was back in his dark suit and tie attire of the perfect secret agent, down to his usual grey coat. He looked tired she noticed. It reassured her. Just as his presence did now. It meant she wasn't alone in this. He was with her.

"So how do we do this?" he asked.

"Never went to a funeral?"

"Actually no. We are familiars and we don't die easily. Plus we have a burial ceremony, and only the elders are allowed to be present." Ames explained.

"And you're still young, or untrustworthy," she commented. "It's not a reproach," she quickly added as she watched his brows furrow. "At least, we're both new at this."

She knew he was uncomfortable when she could guess his thoughts or the situation he was in with the Conclave. She knew because he had the same effect on her.

"So, you're going to open the urn and spread his ashes?" he asked.

She turned again to look at him surprise in her eyes.

"What?"

"No…Nothing just…you said his." As that was enough for an explanation.

"Yeah, so?"

"I thought he was a boy too," the sentence barely a whisper as she was back to staring into space.

Ames coughed.

"We do this or what?" he said. Just any man, he was uncomfortable with any displays of emotions.

"Yeah." Max whispered to the wind.

Solemnly, she opened the urn and murmured into the wind for no one in particular, "To the ones we loved."

"To the ones we lost." Ames added in the same voice.

Quickly a breeze spread the little ashes that fell from the urn. She felt like it should have been longer. A lone tear fell on Max's cheek and this time he didn't turn his head away to ignore it. He looked at her. Really looked at her, and knew in his gut that he wanted her. He toyed with the thought, this way and that and surprised himself by liking that knowledge. Wanting her didn't conflict him as it should as it used to be in the beginning of their encounter four months ago. All that remained, as he screened his feelings was the fact he just wanted her.

"I meant it when I said I was sorry. I know it's not enough, but…" he tried.

"I know," she replied understanding. "Does it ever stop to hurt?" She still didn't turn to look at him. For both of them, crying was a weakness. But she felt that it was alright for him to see her weakness and her tears.

"I don't know. It's the first time that it hurts so much." Ames said sincerely.

Somehow, that brought relief to her. That the baby, her baby was important to him. That with her, it was different, he was different.

She smiled a sad smile.

"How have you been?" He knew how out of place that was since they still were on opposite sides. But he felt the urge to know that she was fine. Though everything tonight told him that she would be. He needed her to tell him that she was going to be okay.

"I'm…I'll be fine. Soon," she answered. "And you? Back to the transgenic hunt?"

"Actually, I'm a bit left out of it." There was amusement in his voice.

"How so?" she said her eye brows rising.

"Well, I think my boss doesn't trust me anymore. Not that he ever had. It's just that because of you and 494 I was a bit over zealous for a 'mere human'. So he's a bit suspicious. It's more than that but it's complicated. You don't need to know." He shrugged as if it wasn't important to him anymore. A man like Ames always had a strong drive. The transgenic hunt was his drive for the past year, yet now, she saw in him that he had a different kind of drive now. Something else motivated him.

She was about to correct him and tell him to not call Alec by his designation as she pondered his new drive, but she knew he couldn't trust him with that kind of information. Curious that she never bothered to hide her name during the whole trip or during their previous encounters. It was too late to worry about that now.

"And the Conclave?" she asked. "Did they punish you?"

He nodded. Again the detachment was there in his stance.

"Been there, done that. They think everything's my fault. And they are curious about what happened to me during the last months. So now I have to gain both their trusts back." Again, she felt the same disengagement in his sentence.

She nodded in understanding. She quieted the part of her that wanted to ask him what was driving him now? She had enough on her plate and discovering that she had feelings for White wasn't easy. Even if she told him…She pondered it for a few second before deciding that she couldn't tell him. She worried that he was stretching himself too thin, with the bureau and the Conclave but didn't say anything. She shouldn't care because on top of everything else, she was mourning for a familiar's child! She wasn't supposed to feel many things she felt these days.

"You've done anything interesting when we came back from you know…" she asked trying to prolong the moment they shared.

"Yeah, I found Lauren. She's Wendy's sister." He'd bet his life that she knew who Lauren was.

"Oh." Guilt enveloped her. 'Well it was only a matter of time', she thought.

"My son's alive," he said with conviction.

"You found him?" She knew that he didn't, but she needed to know if he had any lead.

"No. But I will." His eyes were full of determination. No one was going to stand in his way.

"Yeah." She said lowering her gaze. "I guess you will."

Her tone made him look at her again. She had an odd smile on her face as if she was planning something. He had to make his move soon before it was too late. He'd decided before coming that he was going to bring her to the bureau.

"And what will you do to gain their trust?" she asked suddenly wanting to change the subject.

"Well. I thought you'd have understood by now," he smirked.

"Oh I do. But I'm not easy to catch. What will you do when you'll leave here? Without me," she specified. "Coz' you don't really think that I'll let you take me in this easily, right?" she said mockingly.

"And what will you do about it if I want to take you in?" he replied on the same tone.

Turning so that she faced him completely, she smirked. The one that told him she had something up her sleeve.

"This," she simply said. And jumped backwards from the top of the needle.

The first thought that came to his mind that she couldn't be really committing suicide in front of him. But a second later he heard her laughter. And bending over the ledge he saw her rappelling down. She had all her equipment ready around her hips that was why she was wearing a long coat. Despite himself, he smiled at her. In a few seconds, she was on her bike, revving it on.

"I told you!" she shouted. "'Till next time agent White!"

The thought of pulling his gun never even occurred to him. He just had to find some other way.

* * *

That moment on the needle was a deliverance for her soul. And for him also she thought. It left her full of energy. All the pent up emotions that she had closed off for weeks were fighting to get out all at once. She was full to bursting with life, she needed to do something else. For hours she raced through the city, happy to be alive. When she finally had enough, she stopped for a coffee before roaring her baby to life again and heading to the only place she knew she'd found a shoulder to lean on: OC.

It wasn't like her to knock, but she found herself doing so though technically the apartment was still hers too.

"Who the hell is interrupting Original's …" The African American woman stopped her ranting at the sight of the familiar brunette in front of her. "Boo." A mere whisper of disbelief. At that moment, she knew that Alec hadn't betrayed her, that he hadn't told a soul she was back. She sent him a silent thank you and looked at Original Cindy apologetically.

In a second she was engulfed in the other woman's arms.

God she had missed OC these last days. She had missed the hugs that she gave so freely. But she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone what had happened to her.

"I thought you were dead!" OC's voice was muffled by the transgenic hair. "You're stupid hot boy didn't say a word about you. Always avoiding me!"

Max smiled. She knew how Cindy could be as stubborn as an X5 sometimes. And if she wanted something, she often got it. Original Cindy called it the power of visualization.

"I'm fine." Max replied. And she knew she would be. After tonight, everything would be fine.

She found herself telling OC the whole story, sitting on the couch together, coffee at hand. They smiled, laughed, cried. Cindy might not be a transgenic, but she was a woman, and more importantly, she was her sister. She was also the only person she would tell of her feelings for White. She needed someone else view on the situation, someone who wouldn't judge or tell her she was crazy. That person couldn't be Alec. Their discussion allowed her also to understand that Logan wasn't on her radar anymore. What she felt for him…if she ever felt anything for him was gone.

When she left the old dilapidated building she had called home months ago, she felt free. More free than ever for having shared her burden. She knew that OC could understand, or listen without judging her; she also knew that Original Cindy would take her secret to the grave if need be. This particular fact, she couldn't unload on Alec, she couldn't unload on any transgenic.

* * *

Weeks went by and they both carried on with their own life separately. Ames was back beating the pavement on the transgenic hunt, and Max had finally started to fit in in Terminal City. Neither knew that the arrival of two persons in TC was about to change everything yet again.

* * *

After that night on the needle and at OC's, Max was…better. She had opened herself to the other transgenics and was well accepted by them. She was teaching the youngest crews all she'd learned and she was one of the most productive burglar they had on the clock. Life went on, and she had resumed her job at Jam Pony and hanged at Crash regularly again with Alec, Cindy and Sketchy. She thought that she got her wish afterall.

"Yo Max!" called a dark haired transgenic named Jon.

Max turned around as she was about to leave the central command. She smiled at him. Jon was one of the X5s that she really got along with. Like her, he had shark DNA and she surprised herself by sharing some of her high places in TC with him. She guessed that he reminded her of Jondy.

"Hey!" She smiled.

"Mole says you should go the gates."

"Why?" she said visibly puzzled by the request.

"Said something about two norms, well, a norm with a kid…"

Before he could add anything, she ran out of the building toward the gates.

"…they're asking for you." He finished. "Okay, now I'm curious." But he couldn't go down there, so he walked toward Dix's station, from there he could see what all the fuss was about.

* * *

When she arrived at the gates, the sentries were aiming their guns at the two norms. Well, one of them was a norm, a lost friend. The other one was someone really special.

She slowed her pace at the sight of the old man. He had aged, and his hair was no longer black but grey. Yet, she still felt his power, his endurance and his patience. This man was first steadfast man she encountered in her life. She remembered herself just before she met Louis: how confused and lost she was. Even if he was a thief and a con man, he had taken care of her in his own way. It seemed that her past was getting to her these days.

"Richard," she acknowledged. She gestured to Mole to let them in.

"Max. You grew up." His voice was the same deep baritone one, a soothing music to her ear. She remembered falling asleep while he talked. First time she let her guard down enough and sleep, even if it was just for a few minutes. She had felt cared for with him.

"You're old," she stated. It was a stupid thing to say but, she felt the need to say it. He was always so full of life; it was hard to see him this way.

"Prison would do that to you." There was no reproach in his voice but she still felt guilty. She lowered her gaze. He reached for her and pulled her to him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't reach you that night," she murmured. She had tried and failed, and her training told her to escape. She was just a child at that time and even now, years later, she had a hard time accepting that some of the things she did were drilled into her during her training.

He nodded.

"I think I understand you now. Don't beat yourself over the past kid, you were still very young." He went on and added "When I met you, you were confused. But now…I think you found your place."

She raised her gaze to look him in the eye and once again she found the warmth there always was in them before. They locked gaze for a long time.

Finally she turned to the little boy at the old man's side. She kneeled to be on his level.

"Hey Ray. Remember me?"

The little boy nodded meekly.

"You're the one from the ceremony. You took me to aunt Lauren."

"That's right. You're going to stay with me for while, ok?"

The little boy smiled a bit, she was relieved that he was taking it well. It must not have been easy for him the past months.

"Richard is not very funny," he added. The little boy was a bit sullen.

It was Max's turn to smile. She saw his father in the young boy's sullenness. Max looked at his features and recognized his father in him. She wondered if her baby would have looked just like Ray. She wondered if she had taken the right decision about him. From this point, there was no turning back.

"Well I hope staying with me will be more fun than staying with Richard." Max said with humor.

Then, Ray did something that she thought he wouldn't do. He launched himself in her arms and hugged her. She was expecting sullenness, unhappiness, some kind of resistance from him but not this. She looked inquiringly at Richard.

"I told him a few stories about you." The old man explained. "Seems like you won't have any problem getting along." Richard commented.

Richard had never been a man who liked goodbyes. Before she could add anything, he turned his back on Terminal City and disappeared into the night.

"Thank you Richard." She shouted.

"Your debt is paid in full Maxine! Don't worry about old men like me. Just live your life."

"Uh, Max?"

She hadn't heard Alec arriving as she looked around a lots of transgenics were looking at her, Ray and Richard.

"Who was that?" continued her friend.

"A friend. Just a friend."

Mole ordered the gates to be closed and returned to his post. Ray still hadn't let go of her.

"You're going to find my dad Max?" whispered Ray as he put his hands in her.

"Yes. I promise you'll see your dad soon." Max answered.

"Richard said that you always keep your promises." The young boy said very seriously. "So I'm gonna hold you to your promise Max."

Max smiled.

"I know you will. I know you will." she repeated.


	7. To Scratch Or Not Each Other's Back

Sometimes, there were good perks when you were a federal agent of the government. Yes the pay wasn't great, but you didn't become a federal agent because you wanted to make some money. You become a fed because either you're passionate about your work and you have lots of ideals and want to save the world; either you enrolled because you thought that you'd have a job till you retired and then got a pension; or like Ames, you enrolled because you have some other secret agenda. But there definetely were perks : first of, you got to never pay your parking tickets – and when you're a good agent, you get those for parking wherever you can in the heat of the moment; and second of all, even in this post-pulse world, if you left a paper trail somewhere, the system could find you. As a sworn officer, you had access to lots of information on anyone. Sometimes the information was really important, sometimes it was things that you didn't give a shit about, like what the Chinese President was eating in the morning. That didn't interest White, what he was interested in was the fact that someone in Russia had produced the antidote of the mutated strain of the bio-warfare zycinor. The one that Max was looking for. The one that would allow her in the future to carry a pregnancy to term.

He couldn't explain it even to himself why he was doing what he was doing, but he did it anyway. He had put a lot of money, time and effort in the search of the antidote and who could splice it for him. It took a lot of effort to hide it from the bureau and from the Conclave.

When he found himself alone in his apartment, at night, he wondered why he was doing all of this. A voice inside him said 'because you care for her'. Knowing that he cared for her wasn't enough. They didn't live in a fairy tale: just because he'd figured out his feelings didn't mean they were going to get their happy ending. If the Conclave had its way she would already be six feet under. Against all odds, he had gone and fallen for the one woman he could never have.

Nonetheless, he felt compelled to make her happy. Or at least to give her the chance of being happy. Finding the right information for this commission hadn't been that hard. It was taking that decision that had been hard for him. Sending her this particular package meant letting go of her and every little part of him rebelled against that. Logic told him that either way, they would never be together, but logic had nothing to do with what he felt.

In the end, it came down to the fact that he was in a position to help her and so he was going to do it.

In three phone calls, he had the antidote sent to TC by a Jam Pony messenger, with just a note: "I hope you'll get another chance."

* * *

She was guilt-ridden. Since Richard had brought Ray to Terminal City, she hadn't made one single move to contact Ames and tell him that she had his son, that Ray was fine. At first, she just wanted to wait for the right moment. Now she couldn't use that excuse anymore. She wanted Ray to stay, so she made little to no effort at all to contact his father. She had come to love the little familiar and she was loathe to let him go, even if it was the right thing to do.

The young familiar continued to ask about her progress and each night she told him the same lie: she was working very hard at contacting his father. She knew exactly where his father was, and how to contact him. Everyday she put her head in the sand, ignoring the nagging feeling in her gut that told her she had to deliver the boy to his father. The sooner the better.

She watched him every night as he slept and she dreamt of a different life for her, for him and for his father. She wanted to hold onto Ray because he symbolized Ames. But Ray was just an innocent child who missed his father very much although he'd manage to make do with her the past month.

So when she received the package and understood what it was exactly, she knew what she would soon have to do. She would soon have to let Ray go, as Ames let her go.

* * *

She was re-reading the note when Alec when he came in the comm room. Being in the headquarters, it was one of the first rooms that had been renovated. Joshua's crew had done a great job : it was clean, repainted, furnished with second hand furnitures but it was enough to chase the dilapidated feel it had before the make over. On the biggest wall, they had pinned a map of Seattle, the timetables for each unit/crew's and all the things they were resposible for. Terminal City had become a hive and even though they all had photographic memory, this was a reminder for all of them that they were all working to build themselves a home. A place where they would be safe, safe from the hate, the torture, the experiments. A place where they were free. A place where they could be accepted, and loved and cherished.

Max had gotten out of a call with one of her contacts when Joshua had arrived with the package. He had sent it like a gift, in a velvet box; and there in the middle of it was a simple vial. She had never thought that he'd do something like this. And how could it have ever crossed her mind anyway.

"So what's new?" the dark blond transgenic asked as he observed Joshua and then Max.

"Little fella receive a package." Joshua said. "Little fella haven't said a word." Joshua had looked at his watch. "Ten minutes." he gruffed out.

She was processing the all thing, she wanted to say; but as she opened her mouth to speak, no sound came out.

Alec gave her a quizzical look and she nodded toward his office. They needed privacy if they were going to talk about this. He followed her, closed the foor behind him and took his seat, his feet propped on his desk.

"It's the antidote." Max announced without preamble.

Alec expected her to tell him that Logan had given her something, but he didn't know that the journalist had found a cure.

"Wow! Logan must be happy then!" he tried to be cheery about the ordinary being in the picture again, but he tried too much.

Max shook her head. She had come to terms with the fact that she didn't really want to have anything to do with Logan again.

"Logan didn't send this." she simply said. "He doesn't even now that I have this."

Now he was intrigued – and happy that exo boy wasn't going to make a come back in her life.

"Oh. Then who sent it? Are you even sure it really is the antidote?," the hazel eyed X5 asked in quick succession.

"It's…" she didn't seem to get a grip on her tongue and she really looked unsure of herself. "Dix tested it for me. It really is the antidote." She finally said between her pacing. His eyebrow rose.

"So what's the problem?" asked Alec. That should be good news in her book.

"Nothing. Just…" she took a deep calming breath and looked at her friend. "Ames sent it."

"Oh." he said again. He didn't voice his thought that he'd suspected that much. "Well that's weird." Alec rose and took the package from her hands, and unwrapped the already torn paper. "Sit down." He ordered, but he looked at her softly.

She reluctantly agreed.

"Give me your arm." He instructed as tooked the vial and the syringe.

She extended her arm and he injected the contents into her.

She closed her eyes and in a minute, it was all done. There was no more retro virus. She could probably slap Logan around – and if her temper didn't get the best of her – she wouldn't kill the wasn't a walking death anymore. But best of all, she knew that like Gem and the other pregnant X's in TC, she could allow herself to dream that she too would bring a new life in this world someday. She just had to make the world better first.

"There done!" Alec said as he patted her arm.

"Why did he do that?" she asked. Alec knew that she wasn't really asking him the question. She just needed to get her thoughts together. Being the only one who knew about Max and White was an uncomfortable situation for Alec. It wasn't that he was in love with Max, but they had grown on each other. They had formed a unique bond of their own. He was glad that she confided in him, he was glad that she was alive again, and not wasting away in a dark room like she did when she came back. He hated the fact that having spent time with White, she didn't hate him, but she thought about him constantly. He hated the fact that her time with the familiar had got to her and he hated the fact that they seemed to have form some sort of bond too. No matter that he supported Max, he felt he had to say something.

"You know nothing will ever happen between the two of you. You're fighting on opposite side and you'll probably even fight against each other in the near future."

She was annoyed that he thought he had the right to tell her that. She bit her lip because in the last months Alec had earned that right ten times over. But it was more complicated than just being on opposite side and at the same time, he was right: they were on opposite sides, they were probably going to go against each other in the near future. But it was more complicated than that.

So she just whispered a non commital, "I know that." Alec nodded, not because he was reassured by her answer, but because he had said his piece and that was enough for now. Even though, he knew there was no telling Max anything.

"I'll get you a coffee. I think you need it." Alec finally said when she remained silent for a long time.

She didn't even notice her fellow transgenic friend exiting the room. In a daze, she took out her cell and dialed a number she had learned months ago.

One ring. Two rings. Three Rings. He picked up.

* * *

"Agent White."

He heard the breathing on the other line. He didn't know he'd waited for this call until he felt in his gut that it was the woman occupying all his thoughts.

"It's me. I received the package," she rushed on. She wanted to say what she had to say before she lost her courage. She wanted to end the call before Alec came back and she saw the disappointed look in his eyes.

"Oh." He was still conflicted about his decision and his prior actions. She was going to be the death of his race, but he'd just made her happy and that was enough for him.

"I just wanted to thank you." How lame was that. She never thanked for anything or anyone! The whole situation made her squirm though she'd hid it well from Alec. Or maybe she wasn't doing such a good job at that. She was glad that he didn't call her on it. "And..." she hesitated. "It's just really weird you know. Why? Why'd you do it?" she finally asked. Although she had suspicions, she needed him to tell her why was it that he'd researched, found and sent her the antidote.

"I …" he seemed to think of it for a moment and then continued, "I have no idea." He had no idea why he wanted to keep her on the phone. He wasn't even tracing the call. Not she would be stupid enough to get traced, but he didn't even bother to do his job now where she was concerned.

Anyway, he wasn't going to spill his heart's content on the phone, with the whole office listening in. And even he did, what good would that do to them. They simply never could be. Ever. Ever.

He was about to continue – add something trivial things about how it had been hard to find the antidote - when he heard his name being called.

"WHITE!" It was Otto who'd bellowed. Ames closed his eyes in annoyance and wished he was somewhere else, anywhere else.

During his "leave" his transgenic hunting division had gone under some changes: Special Agent Otto Gottlieb was now his superior. If people like Gottlieb were in charge they wouldn't even need to intervene he thought, the human race would be its own worst enemy. Since the dumbass was in charge, he had become a stupid arrogant norm, too dumb to see that he was teaming up with his own kind's enemy, and that Ames could his ass from here to hell if provoked.

"Get your gear, we're moving! X alert in south market." Power had clearly gone to his head. He wondered if he was this arrogant when he was the one giving orders.

He let the phone call ran on, he wanted her to hear what Otto was saying. It wasn't his show anymore and he needed some kind of entertainment, if he wanted to keep sane.

"I have to go…" he whispered into the phone. Max smiled, was she imagining that his tone was like a caress? Was it all in her head?

"I heard. I'll see you there." she promised.

Ames smirked at the thought. Since their little ceremony on the space needle, it wouldn't be the first time that – again – their paths crossed. He amused himself by watching Otto's failed attempt at capturing her. The fact that he was once the unsuccessful agent who couldn't catch a transgenic didn't make him empathize with Otto. On the contrary, he was happy that the blame lay elsewhere, content in doing nothing, and reporting to the Conclave that he was being benched and trying hard to regain the trust that he had lost. He was enjoying the situation far too much.

* * *

As soon as she hung up, Max hollered at Alec.

"Your highness called," teased Alec. He handed her the coffee.

"X alert." Max told him with a smirk of her own before adding, "White's goons are on their way."

The hazel eyed transgenic nodded. He frowned because he didn't like that she was excited at the thought of seeing White.

"You want me to send someone? Jon's team is on deck." he asked though he knew that she wanted to go.

"No. I want to do it myself."

She was playing with fire, but he had said his piece once, he wasn't going to repeat himself. However, he had her back.

"Ok. Let's go then."

* * *

When he first came back on the field, doing nothing was harder than Ames thought. He had to be seen trying to so something, or doing something. But that meant he had to do the most feckless jobs around. The pretending was taking its toll on him because he had to keep two different pretenses : one for the bureau to maintain his cover and one for the Conclave, to everything that had happened with 452.

So he listened carefully on his surrounding, as he worked very hard at not doing anything while pretending to do something.

If he cared or if he still was Otto's boss maybe, just maybe he would have warned Otto. If he wasn't pissed at the stupid wanna be super agent in charge Otto Gotlieb, he would have told him that there was a squad of X5s heading their way.

He may even have told them to turn around and face those damn transgenics. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and didn't peep a word about the roar of engines that he heard approaching. Stupid Otto was busy ordering people around. He was going to enjoy this so much.

Before the "incident" he had to admit that he'd already thought she was magnificent. In an animal sort of way. But now that he got to know her, he was even more excited to see her in action. Seeing her kick some butt turned him on.

He watched on as Otto continued to issue some order. He was acquiescing event though he didn't listen to a word the man had said. Damn he could be annoying. Was he as annoying when he was the one running the show he asked himself again. No matter, now it was time to play agent White and he drew out his gun like all the bozos surrounding him.

* * *

It all happened in slow motion. The contingent of agent – minus White – hadn't even heard them coming so entranced were they on cornering the two X5s. It was a stroke of luck that they had tracked the two transgenics here. Maybe the freaks had been too preoccupied or something, because the federal agents had herded them to a dead end. They couldn't flee. They had to fight or surrender.

Otto was already imagining getting a medal for bagging the two transgenics. That was more than Ames White. His captures always had a tendency to die along with several agents. Maybe after this catch, White would stop looking at him with those mocking eyes of his.

Otto might have been the boss, but some part of him recognized the power that was harnessed in White. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't animal enough to bow to the superiority of White and he always found the most disgusting jobs and gave them to White. He was amazed that White hadn't complained yet.

He shook himself and focused back on the task at hand. He was son intent on the transgenics in front of him that he didn't hear the noises first.

When he and his team finally turned around, it was too late.

As agent Gottlieb turned around, he saw three motorcycles and their riders, two man and one woman.

Must be transgenics, Otto thought. The woman, he later recognized as 452 was riding in the middle of the two others transgens. Leading them.

The two males X5s, 494 and another one that he didn't recognized, pulled out their guns and were shooting at his men! He ducked for cover as bullet missed him by a breath.

452 was showing no signs of slowing down as she barreled her way towards him, her feet obviously on the gas pedal. She was going to knock him down with her bike, he thought. He found himself paralysed and closed his eyes.

When he heard the screech of tyre, he reopened his eyes. He saw 452 putting her weight on the front of the bike, the rear rose in the air and the tyre continued to roll in the void.

Max winked at Otto and turned her bike around, with her rear still in the air. It hit the poor man with all it torque. The impact sent him flying straight into a hard wall.

* * *

"Attagirl," whispered White to himself. Damn, but he loved watching her. He put a show on as he aimed for her, but missed his shot by a large margin; and she retaliated by trying, not very hard, to run him over. She laughed as she pushed her baby to its maximum speed leaving the scene.

"Later!" she hollered.

Alec and Biggs had already taken care of the two X5s and soon the only proof that they had been there was the dust and the battered body of the special agent Otto Gotlieb and his team.

* * *

It was only when they were in TC that Max found out who the two X5s were. She was few seconds behind Biggs and Alec.

"Wicked move Max!" commented Biggs.

"On my baby, I can pretty much do anything." she replied with a smile. She had perfected acrobatics on bike since she had fallen in love with her baby.

This intervention was one the funniest and easiest they'd had to do: no casualties on their part, and they got to make fools out of feds. It was nice that for a change no one had to go to med bay, or that the only thing they could take home was corpses.

"Max?"

The raven haired transgenic turned toward the voice who'd called her name. She found the features of two friendly faces staring back at her in stupor.

"Syl! Krit!" she rushed in Syl's embrace.

"Max! It's really you" exclaimed Syl. "You're really alive!"

"We thought you were dead." whispered Krit in her hair as he joined in the group hug.

Max felt some sort of flutter on her abdomen and took a step back. She finally noticed the round belly of her sister and that what she'd felt was the baby kicking.

"You're pregnant," Max said with a slightly accusatory tone.

"It kinda happened in the heat of the moment," intervened Krit grinning sheepishly, letting her know that he was the father and unconsciouly waiting and wanting her approval.

The happiness and pride on the faces of her siblings were plain to see. She bit back her tears and hugged her sister again.

"Max, I'm okay!" added Syl thinking that her sister had been worrying about her.

Slowly, Max released her hold on Syl before turning her heals and left them there.

Alec nodded to Biggs to take care of the new comers and followed after the dark haired transgenic.

"Come on," said Biggs before Krit or Syl could protest or follow too. "We'll find you some nice place to crash."

"But Max," tried Syl. She clearly didn't understand.

"She's fine," cut Biggs a bit roughly. "She just needs to wind up okay." he softened his tone a bit.

Like Alec, he had come to be a bit protective of Max. Although he didn't know the details of what had happened to Max, the transgenic grapevine had whispered rumors of a miscarriage. But Max's avoidance of pregnant transgenics had been confirmation enough.

Miscarrying was something that was unheard of among the transgenic population. So far all the pregnant X's that they sheltered in TC were having scare-free pregnancy and when Alec had let slip once that something happened with a familiar, Biggs knew that she didn't lose the foetus naturally, but that someone had intervened.

* * *

Alec found Max in her apartment looking through her window. Something that she used to do before she had spread the baby's ashes a few month ago.

"Hey," he said quietly.

She smiled, her sad smile again. Last time he saw that one, she had come back from a trip with White. He didn't want to see that particular smile on her face again.

"I shouldn't have reacted that way," she whispered. "I spoiled it for her, didn't I?" and she turned to look at him. She wanted his honesty.

He shrugged.

"I don't think that she knows why you reacted that way and Biggs won't say anything. Don't worry so much! It doesn't suit you!" he was trying to get a rise out of her.

"Does everybody know? About...you know who?"

"No. I didn't tell anyone. But they guessed that you were pregnant. You avoid the pregnant female at all costs and when you don't think no one is watching you look at them with so much longing..." he stopped as he saw the emotions displayed on her face. "They guessed, they're clever that way. Rumor has it that they are genetically engineered to be that way!"

This time she smiled.

"I guess my actions were dead giveaways." she conceded.

Alec was about to argue some more but Ray barged in the room excitedly and ran straight to Max.

"Max! Max!"

"Hey!" Max nuzzled the little boy's neck, taking comfort in his odor. He smelled of his father even though he hadn't see his old man in a long time.

Ray giggled at the ticklish touch.

When she released him, he said: "I did it! I did it! I really did it!" the excitement still visible in his eyes and all his little demeanor.

"And what exactly did you do, young man?" she asked mirth replacing sorrow and pain in her eyes.

"I managed to do what you taught me today! In training! Jack knows it! He can tell you."

"I believe you," replied Max with a very amused smile. "You mind showing that to Alec."

The little boy nodded vigorously and ran to the living room.

The two amused transgenic followed suit at a more sedate pace. They both watched with great attention Ray doing the said move successfully, putting the right amount of force and pressure on his right foot, pushing agaisnt the wall, and somerhaulting safely back after a left kick.

"See! I can do it!"

"Yeah, we saw that!"

Max ruffled Ray's hair affectionately. Alec watched the two of them his face marred by concern. He had been there from day one when the little White arrived in TC, and he had watched how attached Max had become to the little guy.

He cleared his throat to get Max attention. She raised her eye brow at him but told Ray to go clean his hands.

"You gotta tell him soon Max!" he warned.

"I know."

Alec saw the defeat in her eyes. He felt like crap for making her feel this way, but it had to be done. He hadn't said anything at first because the little familiar brought Max back to life. But the little one didn't belong with them and his people were asking questions about the little guy. As much as he had come to love Raymond White, he would have to go.

"Soon, Max!" he insisted again before taking his leave.

* * *

Max was debatting with herself again about the Ray situation. Ames had found and delivered the antidote, it was only natural that she returned the favor. But then something would happen and she'd made herself forget about White and concentrated on Ray. The little man was full of energy wanting to try everything, know everything and she distracted herself with his antics.

But fate was calling and she was having none of Max's denial. She came knocking on the door of the transgenic in the form of a call.

"Go for Max."

"Max, it's Andrea."

Max recognized the voice immediately. The familiar rebel that had housed Ames and her when they were in France.

"Andrea? What's up?" Max frowned, usually she was the one calling. In fact, this was the first time that Andrea initiated contact with her.

"He contacted us a few hours ago. I'm sorry I should have called you earlier but I didn't really get the time…"

Andrea didn't need to precise who the 'he' was.

"You've got something for me?"

"I have more than something for you." Andrea paused for dramatic effect. "He wants to meet you. He's in Baltimore" the familiar rattled and adress. "He'll wait for you in there."

Max was going to meet her creator.


	8. Don't You Wanna Meet Your Maker

Max was struggling with her decision: If she looked at the situation in a logical way her interactions with Ames weren't making no sense at all. Why?

Well reason number one, she was a transgenic.

Reason number two, he was a familiar.

Reason number three, his kind wanted her kind dead or experimented upon.

Reason number four...well there really was no need for another reason. Those reasons should have been enough for her to walk away.

Even so the reasons didn't match the facts:

Fact number one, she liked interacting with White;

Fact number two, Ames was the one who got her the antidote for the zycinor;

Fact number three, she was taking care of his kid.

Her dilemma was going to have to wait because she heard little feet running up the stairs. She had asked Joshua earlier that day to pick him up after training.

"Max! The man is hungry!" Ray called as soon as he crossed the threshold.

She smiled as she heard his new catch phrase. He was spending way too much time with Alec and Biggs, she thought. She tried not to show him how amused she was at his antics and wiped the humor from her face.

"You're not getting anything until you've washed your hands." she informed the little man.

"Come on Max!" he had stopped a few paces in the room, facing her, hands on his hips "What's a few germs between us?"

"You are definitely not spending another minute with Alec or Biggs."

Ray smiled, he knew an empty threat when he heard one. His new guardian smiled back and shook her head.

"Go on little man, I said nothing until those hands are squeaky clean! And say thank you to Joshua."

"Thank you Joshua! Bye Joshua!" he hollered as he went into the bathroom.

"Bye mini fella!" Max let Joshua's gravelly voice soothe her worries. She missed spending time with the anomaly.

"Thanks for watching him." she hugged the big transgenic.

"No problem." he said returning the hug. It was good to see Max this happy again.

"You sure you don't want to eat with us?" she inquired. "I promise I didn't cook."

"Have plans." he gruffed out.

"Okay. But can you come back later?" she insisted.

"Alec or Biggs occupied?" Joshua asked. Usually the little boy was around those two. He had been surprised – in a good way – when Max had asked him to bring Ray back once he was finished with his training today.

"I'm trying to shield him for further damage." his friend said with humor. "He's starting to talk and to act like them."

Joshua let out a deep laugh. He too had noticed the same thing.

"You'd be a life saver Josh. So what do you say?"

"Of course little fella!"

* * *

She hadn't told Joshua why she needed him to take care of Ray that night. She didn't tell Alec either. What she told him was that she had a job that could bring some cash for them. Like any other resident she was pulling her weight around Transgenic Central; and Alec wasn't going to argue about getting more funds because they were low on supplies. She had all night. She just needed to make a little detour on her way back from White.

As she doubled back to make sure no one was following her, she noticed two burly guys one building away from White's. The neighbourhood was a quiet one and there were no banks or museums to case around, no casino's either. The presence of the two men stood out like a sore thumb for her. They weren't even discreet : either they thought they didn't need it, or they were stupid.

Once she broke into his apartment she went to the windows and watched the men. As she suspected they were staking out Ames' digs. She knew they weren't feds, so that could only mean that the Conclave was watching him.

She focused on her hearing and found two wiretaps around the house: one on his land phone and another behind a lamp in his bedroom. She looked for cameras or any other surveillance devices but didn't find any. Being around White was soon going to be very dangerous for her : at this point if given the choice, he would probably choose the Conclave over her.

She settled on a chair as she waited for him to come home. She had taken her decision to come here, she was going to stick to it. Either way, her scent was already all over the place, so she might as well stay, she reasoned.

She hadn't come to negotiate Ray's return to his father. She wasn't ready to let the little boy go. However he had given her a wonderful gift in the antidote, and she was just returning the favor. She didn't want to give back his son just yet, but she could help him find his father.

The antidote had thrown their relationship in a twist. They were on shaky grounds, trying to find again their footing and a sense of balance between them. The teasing through Otto continued, but they didn't go farther than that. They couldn't go farther than that. The teasing part was easy enough, it was the gestures like the antidote that was hard for both of them.

When she heard the key turning in the lock, she tiptoed and got behind the door.

* * *

Ames had noticed the car following him this morning and the other one parked outside his building with the little familiar rats. Those would sell their mothers to get into the Conclave's grace. He figured that he was only a matter of time before he was under surveillance. He'd had to check his apartment for unwanted devices tonight.

But when he opened his door, something else bothered him. A smell that was engraved his mind forever.

"Did you know that you had eyes on you?"

He felt her warm breath on his neck.

"Don't worry we can talk. I turned their little wires off." she added.

He pushed her against the wall and she let him. Their skin were separated by their clothes but she felt every inch of him on her body. The warmth, the strength of him enclosing her, swathing her, their feelings heightened by the darkness surrounding them. Something unfurled in her stomach and spread in all her body, from her head to her curling toes. She almost moaned her pleasure but she managed to keep quiet.

"Andrea called." she croaked as he breathed him her smell. "He wants to meet me, in Baltimore."

She felt like she was on fire, yet, the only part of him that was touching her were his hands, encasing her wrists. If only he would move his hands down she longed.

"If you want to go, I left you a ticket and the flight details on your bedside table. The plane leaves at 0600."

She pushed him away. He flicked the lights on but she had left him with nothing more than her scent and his raging hard-on.

* * *

Whether he was going or not was not an issue. Because of course he'd go. He called in sick to work and got rid off the little rats on his tail on his way to the airport. She had promised him a meeting with his father, and hell be damned he was going to get that meeting. He had decades of resentment, hatred and anger to get off his chest : there was no way he was missing this trip.

He didn't really think about it, but she had given him a seat in coach. As he sat down, with an obese man sweating on his right, and an old lady smelling of naphthalene on his left, he heard:

"Right this way Mrs White."

He twisted his head at the name, and there she was, a smirk in her eyes, dressed like a socialite, following the stewardess to the business section. She winked before disappearing behind the curtain.

The sight of her in a skirt was enough to distract him from his anger.

* * *

However it wasn't enough to distract him from his thoughts during the six hour flight. He realised that he was going to see his sire again. He grasped also the fact that Sandeman – he refused to call him father – was still alive, really alive.

What if the old man had been right all along? What if she really was what the runes described her to be. The _meek_ would really have a shot at jeopardising the Conclave's plan. But was she strong enough for that? Could she really manage that on her own, with only her little transgenic army as a back up and without any other outside help?

His kind had been gearing up for their advent for thousand of years. She didn't even have one year to get ready.

* * *

Andrea was waiting for them at the airport and she didn't hide her displeasure at seeing him. Nonetheless, she gave him a slight nod.

"He's waiting for you." she informed Max "I didn't realize that you were bringing some luggage."

Obviously, he was the luggage but he didn't give a shit whether Andera liked him or not. He was more interested in the swaying hips of the transgenic walking before him. His hard-on was back.

* * *

There was no escaping the pulse. Baltimore was just as much in disarray as Seattle, Max thought as they negotiate their way toward the South Sector of Baltimore. Rumor was that New York was worse. She had never set foot in the big apple so she couldn't confirm. However, there was the same feel here in Baltimore and in Seattle.

"We'll be there soon." Andrea said in the silence.

Only a few minutes, now she thought, and I'll meet my maker. What were the protocole for that kind of situation she pondered. She looked at Ames and wasn't surprised to see him tense and edgy, his jaw clenched. He too was meeting his maker. She wondered again at the wisdom of inviting White to this reunion.

She felt the car slowing down and looked around her. The neighbourhood was slightly better than those they witnessed on the way. She immediately noticed the security detail and the cameras all over the place. This was a big operation for Andrea's rebels.

* * *

Nothing prepared Max to meet her maker. She had been trained to withstand torture, to hold her breath ten minutes under water, to get by without water or food ten days, but this one thing was really...weird. She never thought that she would meet her maker someday. All she ever saw of Manticore were the trainers, Lydecker and the other transgenics, like her.

Two years ago, her only trouble was to stay off Lydecker's radar. Now she knew, who created her and for what purpose. It didn't make things right that he was trying to save human kind.

Finding out that she had a role to play in human history didn't make her happy. She felt like she was back in Manticore, a mere pawn on a chess game where she couldn't chose where to go or what to do.

She translated those feelings by a solid punch in Sandeman's face as Andrea was introducing her.

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Andrea screeched out as she went to the old man and tried to help him with his broken nose.

"Stop fussing Andrea." ordered the injuried man as he re-set the bone of his nose. He picked a hanky and cleaned himself as much as he could.

"He deserved that, and more." the transgenic commented.

Andrea was full of indignation.

"If I had known this was the way you were going to react, I wouldn't have bothered calling you." she threw back at Max.

"Then you would have been wrong." the tone of Sandeman indicated that he wanted to change the subject. Andrea complied.

"What were you thinking?" continued Max. "No! Don't tell me, I don't want to know!"

And to think that she had been worried about Ames' reaction. She was the one going completely balllistic. She still wanted to hit something so she picked up something and threw it agaisnt the wall. It felt good but it still wasn't enough, so she picked something else and threw it to.

When she finally stopped the room was wrecked and she was silently crying.

* * *

Sandeman and Andrea had left them in the room alone but he could still hear them arguing through the door.

"This was a bad idea." repeated the rebel.

"It needed to be done. I was going to meet her one way or another." his father's matter of fact attitude was still embeded in him. You either did things his way, or you regretted it. The Conclave learned that the hard way. His sire had eluded capture for decades now and had even managed to create Manticore under the nose of the Conclave.

He'd thought that he was going to be the one hurting his sire, but then again, the day was still young.

"We need to move you. We stayed to long someone's going to find out. Hell maybe, _he_ already called it in."

The _he_ she mentionned with such distate was probably him, Ames mused. Well she wasn't his favorite person either.

"I don't think he did. We're staying and we'll take the time to sort this out."

"But sir..."

"No buts. That was an order."

He could practically she her nod at his sharp tone and smiled.

"I'll have rooms ready for them."

He heard her footsteps fading away, and turned his gaze back on Max.

* * *

The satisfying crunch of broken bones had pleased Max and as she worked out her anger on her furnitures, she calmed down gradually.

He didn't look like anything she imagined though she had never wondered what would her maker would look like.

She heard him step into the room again.

"I have this dream about a man with a cane. He tells me that I'm special."

The old familiar nodded.

"That wasn't a dream. It was me."

"Why me?" it was almost a wail. "Why did you create us? Did you think that we wouldn't feel anything?"

When he didn't answer, she rose from her seat and advanced on him.

"I came here for answers, and you're going to give them to me!"

"It was an accident, the geneticist were supposed to turn off the part of your brain that responded to emotions. When they managed later on, the results were..." he hesitated. "aberrations. It was a total failure, so we keep the DNA splicing for the X, and the nomaly as you like to call them."

"I'm an accident!" she snorted. "Figures!"

"I did the best I could with what I had, and the little time that I had." he justified. "The Advent is coming and you are far from ready!"

"Don't you dare patronize me!" she yelled back at him.

"Well you wanted the truth young lady! If you wanted to remain in blissfull ignorance you should have stayed in Seattle! We gave you designations because we had to de-humanize you! Lydecker encouraged us that way, because that way we were going to be able to control you, he said!" Sandeman laughed, a mad laugh. "Control you! The whole thing was a fiasco!" he poured scotch into a glass and continued. "After your escape in '09, I thought that there was now way that I could make another you. So I left."

Once again she was struck with the thought that he didn't look like a mad scientist, or a former member of a wacko cult. He looked like what she imagined a grandfather would look like: greying hair, almost white; a kind and gentle face; a soft and deep voice made for telling stories. She saw Ames' eyes reflected in the old man's own. She noticed the calluses on his hands and deduced that he liked to build things. Nothing in his demeanor would have made her suspect the strength she easily picked in Ames. And yet, a word, a tone of his voice was enough to clear a room and send Andrea scurrying.

She wasn't ready for this talk. She grabbed her leather jacket and exited the room leaving the father and son to their reunion. She wasn't ready to know what else he had in store for her.

* * *

The old man shook his head at the wreckage that was now his office. When Andrea had told him that 452 was coming to see him, he didn't think that she would bring his son with her. Their relationship was unexpected to say the least.

He sighed. His life was full of regrets. The way he'd handled Ames was one of those regrets. He should have taken the boy with him, but he didn't want his son to live on the run, always looking over his shoulder, afraid of shadows. As it was the tough lov ehe got dealt with as a child had made him stronger. He could never say those word to his son, he could never say that he was proud. Ames would never let him and his heart bled for his son's love and for all the struggles he was surely going to face if he persisted in the path that was in.

"You're going to stay there, and say nothing?" inquired Sandeman when he had enough of the silence. "I'm sure that there are lots of things that you want to tell me."

"I think she pretty much covered what I think of you and what I want to say to you with that punch to your face."

"Only natural that you'd think that way son."

In a second, he had his father pinned to the wall.

"Don't you dare call me son! I am not your son! You lost that right when you left me..." he stopped, clenched his jaw and threw his sire on the wall with all his strength. "I'm not your son!"

Ames took a deep breath.

"This! THIS is all your fault! All this situation! Why did you need to create them!" White yelled angrily.

"I had to do it." was the only explanation that he got from his father that night.

Andrea came into the room, saw his father sprawled on the floor and said that his room was ready and that someone named David was waiting outside to show him the room.

* * *

Neither of them managed to find sleep that night. Even if she hadn't come to meet Sandeman today, Max would have probably spent sometime in her high place before hitting Crash or something. With her DNA she scarcely needed to sleep.

But here, in Baltimore, she didn't know what to do. She didn't have her baby with her to unwind and she didn't know any high spot that she could climb. She had also gathered that although she was treated as a guest, she was definetely on house arrest: she wasn't going out without knocking a coiuple of guys' unconscious and she didn't want to bother.

So she settled for the next best thing:a glass of milk.

Apparently, someone else had the same idea.

* * *

When he had decided to accompany Max here, he thought that confronting his father would make things better. It didn't. Ames was too wired to sleep. Thousands of thoughts were going through his head. He could lay still in bed, waiting for sleep to come.

So he got up and followed the noise in the kitchen.

He had resolved to call her 452 again. He'd just had to live with those unresolved feelings he had for her because after this trip, he had to really think about his future. And after his reunion with his sire, he had chosen his side: the Conclave's. His father should have been stopped years ago. He wasn't surprised to discover her in the kitchen, after all, she was already occupying his mind, and his dreams.

He took the stool next to her in silence. Neither of them bothered by the unlit kitchen.

Ames finally said to Max : "Not quite what you were hoping for right?"

"I don't know that I was expecting something." she paused a second before adding "I guess I was hoping for some kind of remorse from him. He made me yet somehow, I feel like he's not taking full responsibility for all of this. He just stood there, acting like a proud father welcoming his lost daughter back as if he had done nothing wrong! I'm starting to understand why you're a sociopath!"

She was waiting for a witty come back but it never came. Instead, she heard him laugh softly.

"You just had a taste of my life," he chuckled.

"I'm just an accident." she whispered more to herself than him.

"You're more than that." Screw unresolved feelings, he thought, he was going to explore them to his heart's content!

She was about to tell him off when she felt his warm breath on her neck.

He was way too close and his smell brought forbidden memories in her mind. Memories she didn't really want to think about. He wasn't even touching her but she felt his heat in her back.

"What did you do to me 452?" he whispered in her ear.

"What do you mean?" she tried, her voice shacking though she tried to hide it.

"I mean, why can't I spend a day without thinking about you? Why does your voice get my heart to beat faster?"

"I…I…" she stuttered. "We shouldn't be doing this," she managed to croak out as his lips came in contact with her skin which made her heart skip a beat. She could have sworn she had a little orgasm on the stool of his father's kitchen as her toes curled.

She had the presence of mind of saying, bedroom before either of them was too lost in eachother to forget their surroundings.

Every inch of skin that he touched burst alive. She wanted to go fast, but he was painfully slow. As he did one night before, he encased her wrists in his hands immobilizing her though both of them knew that if she wanted break away, she could.

He was trailing a line of fire on her skin with his mouth and his tongue, biting, sucking, her neck first, then her nipples.

He loved every little noises she made for him. The last time they were in this position, he didn't have much control over his senses. This time he was going to enjoy all of her. She might have been made for war, but her body was a grown up's playpen, and he planned to enjoy her for a long, long time.

"What did you do to me Max?" He had called her by her name! Why did he have to do that now when she was losing her mind! He was pushing all her right buttons and he had noticed how sensitive she was in that place, just in the crook of her neck. There! He'd done it again. Her toes curled.

He helped her out of her top before he put his arms back on her, his hands on her hips already working on her shorts. She was on fire and it was all because of him.

"The same thing you do to me." her voice came out husky and hoarse.

"Why did he have to make you so beautiful!" he whispered as he continued his ministrations. He played her body like a pianist play its intrument. His every touch made her react. Everyt touch got a note/sound out of her.

"Ames…" She moaned.

"What Max…" So it wasn't just a slip of his tongue. At that moment, at the use of her name, she melted.

He liked seeing her this way, he liked that a touch of his hands was enough to make her moan and yearn for more. When he felt her shudder, he left her nipples alone, put his hands on either side of her head, and kissed her. He took possession of her full pouty lips. Those lips that he'd desperately wanted to kiss for months now.

She felt his erection through his pyjamas, and grinded herself on him, plastering herself on him.

"Faster..." she ordered.

They were going to do each other tonight, and nothing was going to stop them.


	9. We'll Always Have Paris

**Disclaimer: I forgot to say that unfortunately Dark Angel and all its characters don't belong to me**

* * *

When she woke, she held her breath as she waited for the shame, the self-hatred, the disgust to overwhelm her but nothing happened. For the first time ever, she wasn't going mental after what her friend Original Cindy called doing the nasty. She wasn't a complete mess, she didn't feel the need to get up and take a shower to wash away the shame. For once, she felt good about sex, and it had never happened before. So she snuggled closer to Ames and doodled on his chest as she thought about the meaning of this. She might me happy about this particular turn of events, but she was still a control freak.

* * *

"At least this time you're not crying, or trying to kill me, or trying to get me to kill you." muttered Ames when he had enough of her silence.

He had woken up from their night tryst, with his arms warped around her. He knew she was awake but, all she did was making circles on his chest with her index finger.

The last time they did the horizontal mambo, she had freaked out. This time, he didn't really know what to expect. He didn't think that her reaction last time was entirely due to her heat cycle. He was clever enough, and now knew her enough to understand that the disgust he'd heard in her voice, wasn't all directed at him but more at her.

She surprised him when snuggled closer. "Don't spoil this for me, I've never snuggled before." She felt as naked as she was, but she wanted him to know that this was important for her. "This is the first time that I've actually gotten off outside of heat!"

"Really?" he was honestly dumbfounded by her confession.

"Really. When your first sexual experience is at thirteen because of something in your genetic make up that you don't fully understand, you tend to feel shitty about yourself three days later." Especially when you weren't ready for any sort of relationship, let alone a sexual one. She didn't say that part aloud, but he heard it nonetheless.

She had said it like it didn' t matter, but he knew it did. It did matter that she had to figure things out by herself, not knowing what it was exactly that was happening to her. It mattered that as a child her playpen was a make-believe war zone, where you hunted your enemy. It mattered that at seven she knew more about war than hugs, more about torture than Saturday morning cartoons. Moreover, it mattered to him, because she mattered to him.

She breathed his scent, trying to remember everything.

"Let's make your first time memorable, shall we,?"

* * *

For the next hours, they'd forgotten who they were and where they were. Until Andrea banged on their door and informed them they were moving soon and if they wanted to go, they had to get their ass out of there.

They came down a few minutes later, and noticed immediately the flurry of activities and the nervousness permeating the air.

Max stopped the man that had drove them here the day before.

"What's happening?"

"We're under attack." the young man informed them.

"Where's Andrea?"

"With Mr Sandeman. In his office." he nodded the direction with his head.

Max rushed with Ames in tow to the room the rebel had indicated. When they entered there was no trace of the rubble she'd made of the room yesterday. The walls had been stripped, all that remained where was a desk, a computer. As they entered the room, a woman in black military fatigues rushed out with a take charge attitude. Andrea was in a screaming match with Sandeman.

"...we have to take preemptive measures!" she pounded her fist on the desk.

"Andrea? What's the snag around here?" the transgenic asked.

The red haired rebel turned toward them with fury in her eyes..

"You! You are the snag around here! You just had to bring him here! You just had to bring him to the Monastery in France!"

"Andrea! That's enough."

The rebel was completely red with anger and she needed a minute to get her composure back.

"I'm sorry. It seems even after all these years with me, Andrea doesn't understand that my son helped you find the monastery in France. She doesn't understand that you needed to meet one of my sons to get here. Although, I would have thought that your choice would have been a transgenic and not a familiar."

"What do you mean?" the question was from White.

Sandeman looked at his son and replied : "Why son, I used your DNA in most of the X male series."

Ames felt like throwing up, Andrea looked utterly lost, and Max was furious.

"What kind of sick bastard are you?" voiced Max.

The old man ignored her, and fixed his gaze on Ames.

"Did you ever wonder why they didn't just kill you when I left?" Sandeman wasn't waiting for any reply, "It's because they can't afford to lose our line. One of the purest and strongest they have." he let out a bitter laugh. "That's why I didn't bring you with me, because I knew they wouldn't kill you. I forgot they could do things worse than killing you."

"You manipulating bastard!" Ames glowered at his father, his breath short and accelerated. How could a father do this to this own son. He would never do that to Ray.

Sandeman dismissed his son's reaction with a shrug as he turned his hawk eyes on the transgenic.

"And you, I created to be a weapon. I chose your features to entice Lydecker to be protective of you." he smiled at her reaction. "I take it he told you after whose eyes, your own were fashioned." He took a step toward her, she took a step back. "I made sure you had a twin to create a decoy if necessary. I hope for your sake that 453 is still alive because you're going to need her in the coming days."

He was interrupted in his spiel by the sound of gunshots. Andrea moved away for the three of them to check on her security team.

"Alpha two, this is Alpha one, Radio check, over." she waited with baited breath for the static of the radio, to change into the voice of Cameron, her head of security.

"Alpha one, this Alpha two, Roger out."

That meant that they still had some time. She begged Sandeman in her head to see reason and agree to EVAC.

"Right now, all you are is raw data." Sandeman went on, he touched her cheek with care. She flicked away his hands in hatred. "But when you'll be properly set, you'll be magnificent!" she stepped away again, as she watched the crazy look in his eyes.

The static of the radio brought them back to the reality of the attack.

* * *

General Jansens was a man on a mission. He had been on board since day one when Doctor Van Houten brought them the RED implant project. Each of the still standing free countries had tried their hands at making the perfect super soldier. Each of them knew where the others stood in their progress: the Japanese's project was a complete failure, the EU had decided to turn toward artificial intelligence, South Africa had their implant. The Americans were the only ones so far to have managed splicing up human DNA with specific animalistic Genome to make a super soldier. And they were guarding their projects like hawks.

But after twenty years of almost no progress – they had just managed to lengthen the implantee's life expectancy to six months instead of two – he needed results, or his project would be terminated.

The reappearance of the lost implant in France, when they were precisely conducting an operation there as the same time, felt like an answer to his prayers. Although, they'd lost the trail of the prototype, they had monitored the airports, the railway stations and the road in the hope of picking up her companion. The manticore prototype was always cautious and never raised or angled her head in a way that would have allowed them to have a picture; but her companion wasn't as cautious, and they'd caught a clear picture of him at the airport.

They had followed him later to Seattle, and they'd managed to find out who he was : Special Agent Ames White. On probation. He had been in charge of the team hunting the transgenic.

When he read the files, General Jansens was so happy that they'd let the prototypes escape, he was already imagining bringing a whole truck load of them to South Africa to experiment on. The rumors had been true after all!

If he had been less desperate, the General would have wondered what was a government official – ordered to hunt the transgenics down – doing with one, thousand of miles away from US soil.

But he was excited and impatient, and he was in a rush to save his project, so he sent all his soldiers to follow the trail of Ames White.

His RED implantees had followed the federal agent for one day, and had bugged his place but then, they lost him. They succeeded in picking up his trail back at the airport and managed to find out which flight he had taken, and where he was headed.

Through satellite photos, they narrowed the whereabouts of Ames White in South Baltimore. They had noticed the extra security and they had observed the area for hours before reporting back to the General.

He thought they'd hit the jackpot, that it was there that the US government was hiding the projects that they had recaptured. He was going to swoop in and take what was his due.

The ten REDs managed to penetrate the outer defenses but were stopped at the second perimeter. General Jansens watched through his own men eyes, as they died: neck snapped, bullet through the skull.

He was finished.

"Sir?" his assistant tried as he saw the general rise and unholster his gun.

There was no reason for him to live anymore. His honor was lost. The General pointed the gun to his head and shot.

* * *

"Alpha one, this is Alpha two. Enemy annihilated."

Andrea's whole body relaxed at the transmission.

"Alpha two, this is Alpha one. Say Again."

"I repeat. Enemy annihilated."

"Copy that Alpha two. Please report to base. Over."

"WILCO, Alpha two, Out."

* * *

Cameron was first and foremost a soldier of the familiar rebellion, and he was loyal to Andrea. His parents had followed Sandeman when he left the cult, they had been his friend, but also his bodyguards. When he was old enough to pick up a gun and shoot he joined the rebellion like his parents and met Andrea. Both of them had fought side by side for decades before he was assigned to the security detail of their leader and she was ordered to go to France and lure some unsuspecting familiar, for what, neither of them knew what it was exactly that the lab geeks of Sandeman were doing.

He had never seen a transgenic up close and personal before. As Max observed him openly, he did the same thing in a more discreet way.

He was meeting the reason for his enrollment for the first time. If they all looked like her, he thought, it was worth it.

"Ah Cameron! Good job." complimented his leader.

"Thank you sir. Always glad to help."

"Happy to see you're still alive." teased Andrea.

"I aim to please." he retorted.

* * *

Max watched the man they called Cameron as he related the attack. His hair reminded her of Alec's hair. It wasn't the only thing in him that reminded her of the dark blond transgenic: it was there in his irreverence, in his posture. He was a few inch taller, and he didn't have the movie good looks of Alec but just like her friend, she recognized the Alpha male in him.

"Max, this is Cameron. He's my chief of security." declared Sandeman with pride.

She nodded her acknowledgment, he nodded back.

Two man in military fatigue brought a third man in. The third one was obviously dead.

"I thought this could interest you." he directed to Max. "They are not branded, but they had the strength of our kind. None of the training we have though. This was sloppy, rushed."

Max looked at the dead man and recognized him as one of the person stacking out White in Seattle. The buzz cut, the burly figures, how could she mistake them for familiars.

"Reds." she informed them. She put the dead man on his face and uncovered the point of entry of his implant.

The whole room looked on as she dug the implant with a pocket knife.

"This little thing," she explained as she held the device. "kills their pain receptor, it also shortens their life but as most of them are prisoners on death row, no one misses them." She turned him around again and felt his pockets. She found a picture of White in CDG, Paris.

"This was taken the day we left. They must have followed you back. I told you to keep your head down!" She was angry at Ames because, he could have been taken by the South Africans and no one would be the wiser.

She remembered his answer when she'd told him to be wary of the cameras once they got in France. The EU had gone totally Big brother after the pulse and they showed no signs of changing their ways. There were more cameras there than spots on cheetah.

In a sense it was a relief that the Council wasn't putting Ames on surveillance yet. He was still safe from them.

"I'm sorry," she went on. "This is all because of me."

"Of course not!" Sandeman contradicted. "It's not the first time that the South African operatives are trying to capture a manticore prototype. They probably heard the rumor of the escape like every other countries or militias interested in having their own super soldiers."

"Either way, I think it's safer that we move our base, sir." Andrea cut in.

"I guess you're right Andrea." he sighed and looked at Max and Ames. "I'm afraid, this is where we'll part. If I'm lucky I'll get to see you again, if not, we were not meant to be immortals." He handed her a disc. "It compiles all the work that I did on you. All the answers that you'll need are there. Good luck child. You're going to need it."

"Wait! You're not going to help me? Help us?" Max's tone was indignant.

"You don't understand, I already did: when I created you."

She didn't say thank you, because he didn't deserve those thanks. Nonetheless she nodded to Cameron and Andrea as they took the old man away.

"Well, time to go back to Seattle." Max stated. "At least you know that it wasn't the Conclave that was watching you."

"Doesn't change anything. They'll soon wonder why I am not making progress on the transgenic front." he picked up his bag. "They're going to send someone soon." he asserted.

"And what will happen when they do?"

"I don't know. Depends on what they'll find."

She looked at him with worry in her eyes. She cared about him, he realized suddenly. The knowledge had been there in the back of his mind, but he hadn't dared to look at it closely because, he too cared about her.

"And what will they find Ames?"

That was good question. A question he didn't have the answer to.

* * *

On the flight back, he'd thought long and hard about what he was going to do. Yes, he cared about her and he was pleasantly surprised when she had stood up for him to his father, when he expected her to take his sire's side. She was probably as angry toward his father as he was. But this was about survival. She had no idea what she was and her kind's success depended on her understanding how she worked. He'd decided that he wasn't going to help her.

When their plane touched the ground, he simply told her that they needed to talk and ushered her in the public bathrooms.

"I'm sorry about this Max." he handcuffed her.

The understanding in her eyes was killing him. She shouldn't understand why he was doing this, but he knew that both of them had come to empathize with each other.

There was also guilt that passed in her eyes.

"I can't let you do this Ames, I'm sorry." she hadn"t moved and she looked at him through the mirror.

"Unless you have some other leverage, I have to do this. I have to live for my son." He was sorry that it had come to this, but it was inevitable. Max turned to face him.

"I have Ray." she breathed out.

He slapped her with all his strength. Were she a mere human, she would have flown across the room. As it was, she had braced herself for his reaction, and had expected as much from him. She took the hit without qualm.

"I deserved that one. But there won't be another freebie."

It was as if she hadn't spoken.

"Where is my son 452?"

She tsktsked at his question.

"First, let me get out of those." she threw the cuffs back at him.

"WHERE IS MY SON?" he bellowed.

"Yelling won't get you anywhere." she commented. "You're upset right now, so let me make something really clear for you: take me in and I'll make sure that you'll never, ever, see your son again."

They were facing off, faces inches from each other, neither willing to back down.

"Let me be clear 452, if you don't give me back my son, I promise that your transgenic friends will find pieces of you all over Seattle till next year."

"That's original." another voice mocked.

Ames cursed himself. He had been so focused on his shouting match with her that he hadn't heard 494 enter the bathroom. He stilled as he felt the cold barrel of a gun at the base of his neck. Fast or not, at this distance, there was no dodging the bullet if 494 decided to pull the trigger.

"Remember this day," the animal whispered. "as the day that I could have killed you."

His face was set, his jaw clenched in anger, his lips thinned, he was itching to do some damage, but he couldn't.

"Took you long enough." 452 told the other transgenic.

"Traffic." shrugged 494.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked White as looked at 494 through the bathroom mirror.

"This one is not my show buddy." he gestured to the brunette who ignored the look Ames sent her.

"Did you find one?" she inquired.

Alec nodded, and the door opened on another person.

* * *

Ames noticed the feminine curve. He guessed that it was another transgenic. What did 452 had up her sleeve? The new comer was smaller, leaner even than 452. If it wasn't for her curves, he would have thought that she was a child. He couldn't see her face as her shoulder length blond hair shielded it from him. Maybe it was one of the anomalies, he pondered.

"You know what I figured out Ames?" he gazed back angrily at 452. "I realized that if Sandeman was intent on given the humans a fighting chance in creating us, he must have tried to give us the same talent that you have and more." 452 went on. "If one of you was a telepath, he must have created his own version among the transgenics."

"This is Peisinoe." 494 introduced the blond girl. "She's a mind-reader."

Ames remained silent and controlled his features. If he was dealing with humans, he would have talked his way out this interrogation. But transgenics – these one in particular – meant business.

"I'll give you back you son." 452 laced her announcement with compassion. As if he would believe her. "But first, you're going to give us every single name of the familiars that you know in Seattle P.D., in government agencies, in the government. That's a fair trade: a life for lives."

"You're not getting away with this 452. We're not that easy to kill."

"A bullet through your head would do the trick." 494 observed with mischief before adding. "He's all yours Peisi."

Ames glanced back at the one they called Peisinoe. She had put her long bangs behind her ears. He followed her movement as she took off her sunglasses and he finally got the full impact of her features. She looked like an angel, and something in her, was pulling him toward her, yet he hadn't moved a inch from his position. He was transfixed, hypnotized by her sight.

"Tell me..." her voice felt like a caress, "Tell me all your secrets." her eyes never left his as he advanced on him.

* * *

When he woke up, he was in his bed. He was alone, no transgenic, no 452. He remembered arriving in Seattle, ushering 452 in the bathroom, cuffing her. She had his son! Then 494 arrived with another transgenic. After that, things was a bit foggy.

Something had woken him. A ring? He searched for his phone, but there was no missed calls.

Then he heard the knock and the sound of the doorbell. He was still groggy, but he had the sense to take his gun, check that it was loaded and went to open the door.

As he looked through the peephole, he saw his son. He was so excited that he fumbled with the lock before successfully opening it. His breath caught as his son jumped in his arms.

"Daddy!" he was never going to let go of Ray. He breathed the long forgotten smell of his son, took in the changes in his son. He was safe, he had grown up.

Ray wriggled out of the arms and went back outside.

"Ray?"

"Meet my friend dad." he lead 452 in his house. "She found you for me." There is it was again: the smile of his son. The smile wasn't only directed toward him, but also toward his companion. Ray was totally at ease with 452, there was no trace of fear in his attitude. Furthermore, he trusted her.

To his horror, his son had become attached to the transgenic and he wondered since when exactly did she had his son.


	10. The Enemy of My Frenemy

**A/N: I almost didn't upload this today, I really thought I wouldn't have the time. Normally from this day forward, I should have more time for the story. Tell me what you think about this revised version and enjoy!**

* * *

Before she brought Ray back to his father, they needed to assess the extent of the information Ames had given them. They hadn't chosen the termination of every person on the list; at least not yet. They were going to hunt down everyone of the list and put up surveillance teams around them to see who else they had in their pocket.

"How much time do we need to track all those names?"

Max and Alec, along with Mole, Biggs and Cece were huddled around Dix's computer in Command.

"Not too long." replied the white paste face transgenic. "At least for those around Seattle. We'll need to deploy teams as soon as I track them down." Dix looked at Max and asked, "How much time do we have until the information you gave us isn't viable anymore?"

Alec looked at Max too, he was wondering the same thing. How much time did they have before White reported in? She had refused to kill him, and she had talked him into leaving Ames at his apartment.

"Yeah, how much time do we have Max?" He didn't feel like sending transgenics in the field when they couldn't even be sure if their information would still allow them to do what they had to do, or if the Familiars were already setting traps for them.

They had instructed Peisinoe to erase part of White's memory, but they both knew that they couldn't really count on that. Tomorrow, he would remember most of everything that had happened. Bit by bit, everything will come back to him.

"I don't know. I'm working on that," she said honestly. "I think that we have a week or so. Maybe less. I'm hoping getting his son back will buy us some time." She was crossing her fingers, praying to the Blue Lady that she was right, that they had that week.

In the meantime, she had to keep a promise she had made.

H*E*A*T

Max handed Ray's bag to his father. His eyes told her that she wasn't welcome but that he wouldn't do anything because of his son. She just smiled.

"I'm hungry dad!" the little boy looked at the apartment and found the kitchen easily. "It's a bit like your apartment Max!" he observed.

Ames waited for Ray to go into the kitchen before turning his full glare on Max.

"What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"I would have figured that it was obvious." she replied calmly. "I promised that I'd bring your son back, didn't I?"

He glowered at her as he recalled her words.

"I never go back on my word." she said and followed his son's voice to the kitchen.

"The man is hungry!" Ray exclaimed again. Still in the hall, he heard them rummaging through his cupboards and her scolding his son.

"What did I tell you about that expression?" 452 admonished though her affection for Ray was obvious. The whole situation was surreal and irksome.

Quite how she had managed to gain his son's affection, he couldn't fathom. As a grown man, he understood her appeal, he had sampled her charms; but what was her appeal for a eight year old boy.

The fondness in his son's voice wasn't feigned. It was Max this, and Max that. He had put her on a pedestal. As much as Ray had missed him, he had loved the time he had spent with Max. Much to Ames' annoyance.

At the moment, Ray was promoting him to 452 of all people and he realized that even if he had the opportunity to kill her, he probably wouldn't because his son had attached himself to it: Ray had come home with a stray cat in tow.

Max was amused by White's reactions. She read all the emotions that passed his face from the wonder of having his son again to the frustration of seeing Ray and her getting along. She glanced at her watch and noticed the time. She wasn't supposed to stay this long.

"It's ten buddy. Time to bunk in." she ruffled Ray's hair. "Plus, I gotta jet."

Ray threw himself at her for a hug.

"Thank you for finding my dad, Max!" he whispered.

Ames' jaw tightened. She knew exactly where he was all those months ago, but he didn't correct or argue with his son's statement.

"A promise is a promise." Max looked at Ames, an apology and tears in her eyes, "Even when it takes time."

Ray released his tiny hold on her and went to stand next to his father, sliding his hand in Ames. She knew she did the right thing.

"So you'll pick me up tomorrow?" Ray asked her.

Max stopped in her tracks, her eyes going to Ames before going back to Ray.

"I thought you understood buddy. I won't pick you up."

"Oh," Ray's face was puzzled, then said with hope in his voice. "Alec's coming then."

Again, she glanced at his father and kneeled in front of Ray.

"No." she swallowed and went on, "Alec isn't coming either." A pause. "Do you remember what I told you about familiars and transgenics?"

The little boy nodded, a forlorn expression painted on his face as he started to understand what was happening: he was never going to see Max and all his transgenic friends again.

"Does that mean that you hate me now?"

"Oh, no! Never! You're more awesome than Alec and Biggs put together! Of course I love you."

She held him tightly in her arms before letting him go.

"It doesn't matter what you are or who your father is." She kissed his forehead. This was the last time that she would get to do that. In the corner of her eyes, she saw the mounting irritation in Ames. It seemed like she had finally overstayed her welcome. "Remember to duck and run when you hear us coming." she stage whispered.

With a smile, she got up and quickly left.

As she roared her baby to life, her heart constricted at the thought that she would never again see the little boy again. She knew his father would see to that.

Fate and a stubborn little boy thought otherwise.

H*E*A*T

Before meeting Max – and the transgenics in Terminal City – Ray was an introvert kid. He had been small for his age, still was – but he thought that might have to do with the fact that his daddy wasn't that tall either – and his mother had been very protective of him. He remember his parents telling him that he was a premature baby, and seeing pictures of him in an incubator. He had grown to be a quite kid, happy with what he was given.

But he wasn't the same kid anymore. He'd spent enough time in Terminal City, with the transgenics to grow confident and stubborn. Lately, he always got what he wanted from Alec and from Biggs. With Max it was harder. So when things didn't go the way he liked, he worked hard to change that. Richard had told him that he needed to stand on his own two feet, and to fight for what he wanted.

Well, he wanted Max, Alec, Biggs, Joshua and all the friends he'd made in T.C.; and he was going to get what he wanted.

Alec had taught them, this week, that he 'needed to asses the situation, and devise a plan'. He thought long and hard but nothing came to his mind so he used the only weapon a eight year old boy had : the temper tantrum.

H*E*A*T*

The last three weeks with his son hadn't been easy. First, he had to talk his way out of an inquisition, in order to enroll Ray in the Familiar Academy. And Ray wasn't making things easier for them. True, he stuck to the story they had agreed on and rehearsed; but beside that, his son wasn't behaving much.

Every day, he picked up his son after school, and every day the headmaster was standing beside Ray waiting for him to have a few words about Ray's behavior. It was the same story, everyday: his son had been fighting – kids who were older and stronger than him – and winning those fights. Ames suspected that the first day, Ray had been provoked but afterward, Ray found an outlet in the fights, and now, he was the one who brought them on.

Ray seemed impervious to the punishment, and despite his pride of the first days, now, he was starting to have an headache, when 4 AM approached and he had to go pick up his son.

Yesterday, the headmaster had had enough because, not only his son was fighting, but the teachers had also become the mark of his pranks. They didn't know how to react to his antics – because it was undisciplined and un-familiar – and Ames didn't either, so they punished him until Ray completely rebelled and skipped school altogether.

Ames found him waiting patiently outside his office. How he had managed to get in, his father couldn't figure out since the whole building was under surveillance.

It seemed that 452's stubbornness had contaminated his son, and everything had become a negotiation. He had tried placating his son to no avail. Thousand years of selection and he was bested by a boy whose voice hadn't even broke.

At first, his son's attempts were subtle – as much as a eight year old could be – but now, the message was screamed at him : he wanted Max!

He hated the love that his son felt for the transgenic but he loved that his son was showing some backbone! Wendy smothered his son, something that Max hadn't done apparently. He wasn't afraid for his son now when he drove him to the Familiar Academy – he knew after all how cruel the kids could be there. If anything, the other sons were taking a beating from Ray. Insofar as he was proud of his son's strength, he would have liked to be to one to nurture it to life.

Nevertheless, he was finally admitting that he was beaten, after only one month with his son.

H*E*A*T

Ray's behavior had been noticed by all. But one adult – the headmaster – was wondering were exactly the little boy had been trained. His son had been one of the many children that the Sandeman boy had beaten. He recalled his youth, and beating the crap out of Patrick Ames Sandeman. When he learned that Raymond, Ames' son was going to be one of his pupils, he had asked his son to "welcome" the boy back. Ernest – his pride and joy – was two years older than the Sandeman boy. He should have been the one winning the fight. Surprise didn't even begin to cover what he felt when he discovered his son, bruised and battered, on the floor and White's son, kicking him in the gut.

According to the boy and his father, he had been hidden with a distant relative of his mother. But who then could have trained him? And what was White hiding?

The headmaster Finch was a familiar, but he was also a snitch. So he took all his suspicions to one member of the Conclave.

H*E*A*T

He was surprised when she answered the phone. He had kept this number since Paris, not really thinking that he could use it, or that he could reach her on it for something so normal as helping him with his son. Before, she was the one initiating contact. Now it was his turn.

"Do you know what I'm doing right now?" her voice was annoyed. She was obviously thinking that he was someone else.

"Hello? Alec I swear to God if you..."

"It's me." he interrupted. He frowned. Would she know that it was him? He was bout to add, White, but she beat him to it with a simple, "Oh."

"Is Ray ok?" her first question reassured him. He was doing the right thing by his son.

"He's fine." How did he tell her that his son wanted her in his life and he wasn't averse to the idea himself.

"So...why are you calling me?" she queried the worry in her voice had been replaced by her previous annoyance. "I'm kind busy right now." she stated.

"What are you doing?" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"I'm hanging with my bare hands on the ceiling of the..." she huffed. "Why am I telling you this?"

He smiled and smothered a chuckle. No need to anger her more. "Why are you hanging on a ceiling?"

"Nevermind! Just tell me why you called?"

There was no avoiding that question. At the end of the day, this time, he was the one who had called.

"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing here," she didn't need to know that he was okay with her spending time with his son. "Can you pick up Ray for training tomorrow?"

For a moment, he thought that she had hung up.

"Say what again?" her annoyance had turned to complete surprise.

"He was suspended from the Academy. I need someone to watch him..."

"That he'll actually listen to," she cut in guessing his problem with the little boy.

He nodded though she couldn't see him. He didn't feel like telling her that she was right.

She sighed. "I would have loved to take Ray, but I can't bail tomorrow. I'll be busy the whole morning. I guess I could figure something out for the afternoon. If it's okay for you?"

She hadn't asked him more detail, she just jumped at the chance of seeing Ray again. He was doing the right thing, he repeated again in his head.

"It's fine. We'll be on..."

"Don't worry I'll find you." she hung up without saying goodbye.

She hadn't boasted, she hadn't made a single comment about his call – which he appreciated greatly – but he knew that she had worked out that it was costing him to call her.

His son was going to get everything that he wanted but what about him. What was going to happen when the Conclave found out? His relationship to Max was already complicated before, this entangled them even more together. She had literally replaced the boy's mother and he didn't see Ray thriving away from her. He had to decide on his actions soon.

H*E*A*T

Unbeknown to Ames, he didn't have much time to take his decision. Finch made sure of that whhen he reported his suspicions to the Conclave.

Fortunately for him, Dix was watching the familiars' maneuvers around Seattle, and one of them was checking White's movements of the past months. The loud beep warned him that someone was trying to find footage of Ames on every available systems in the world. He wasn't worried about them finding something – because Max had asked him to wipe every single trace of their travels in Europe and Baltimore – he was worried about what it meant. He didn't care for the familiar, but he cared – like most of the transgenics around – for little Ray, the mini fella as Joshua called him. He was worried because if a familiar was checking on Ames it meant either that they had found out about his lies, or that they were suspicious of his story.

"Max is not going to like this," he muttered as he punched in her number. He swore as it went to voice mail. "Huh, Max. It's Dix. I think someone's making a move on Ames. I don't know where you are but you better hurry."

H*E*A*T

Max had missed the call because she was negotiating oranges – real live oranges – in South Market. She had kept a watchful eye on White because of Ray and she knew that Thursday was Fast food day. She knew where to find them and she was impatient to see her little man and hold him again. When she had secured the fruits in her backpack, she frowned on the missed call. If Dix had called, it must have been something important. She dialed her voice mail, her face turning ashen as she understood Dix's message. She quelled her instinct to blur toward her son and shield him. There were too many people around her, they couldn't risk exposure. She needed to think calmly but it was hard when one was in mother hen mode. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. The first thing that she had to do was finding them. That was easy, she was five minutes from the fast food joint. She left her bike near the fruit stand and ran toward the restaurant. Everything was going to be fine. Ray was going to be fine. Nobody would dare hurt him.

H*E*A*T

The look on Max's face put Ames immediately on alert. His son was too happy to see her to understand the undercurrents.

It taken all her strength to march calmly in the fast food without showing her panic. She had called Command and asked if someone could come and help her. She knew Alec was out of reach because of their plans. Just like Biggs, Cece, and the handful of transgenics that she actually got along with. Rip – otherwise known as Jacky the Ripper – and two of his unit members were was the only ones available for a rescue mission and she told Dix to not bother. Whenever she felt Rip's eyes on her, she shuddered internally. He was unnecessary cruel and she had always forbidden Ray to approach the X-5.

At least, she could safely say that no other familiar were in the vicinity.

She took in Ames' reaction and she tried to convey through her eyes that there was no immediate danger. At least, not yet.

Right then, she knew that everything was going to change between them. That from then on, there were going to face whatever came next together.

Ray was finishing his drink, and talking about going to work with his dad. He frowned.

"It wasn't as fun as doing..." he hesitated and looked at his father. "Stuff with Alec." he finished with a smirk. He put his drink back on the table.

"Why don't you go to the toilets?" asked Ames. He'd have time later to know what else they had taught his son.

"But I don' t need to go." the boy protested.

"Just do what your father tells you." said Max firmly. "Come on, I'll still be here when you come back. We might even go to Terminal City."

"Sweet!" Once again, White saw that his son had really enjoyed his time in Transgenic Central.

They both watched Ray disappearing behind the door of the toilets.

"Someone is checking on your travel movements of the past months. They won't find anything, but if they started to probe it means that..."

"I know what it means." his tone was defeated, not gruff or reproachful, they were past that now. "I thought I had more time."

"Well, you can' t go home now. Someone is probably already waiting for you both there."

"What do you want me to do? Get Ray and run? You won't ever see him again." he paused. "He won't be manageable for once, and they are going to come after me. I can't fight them if I worry about Ray. But I can't just leave. I just got him back."

"I know." she whispered. "What if we make them think you were killed?"

"They'll still come for Ray."

Max shoock her head. "What is the protocol if you're compromised?"

"I don't know." Ames was puzzled. "It never happened before. Usually we do the killing not the other way around."

Ideas were rushing in Max's head. Except for her family, she had never been a good planner. But now, Ames was...family. He needed her protection as much as Ray.

"We need to make them think that you were compromised, that somehow, I got to you and that I killed you."

"What about Ray?"

The dark haired transgenic shrugged. "That's not going to be a problem. They already think that something's wrong with him, we're just going to let them think whatever they want."

He started to protest, but caught him what exactly she had planned. "It could work."

"It could, but we need time to prepare and enough of your blood to make it believable."

They both turned to watch Ray saunter towards them.

"Can we go now?" he asked excitedly.

"How about going straight to TC?"

"With dad?" the boy inquired.

"That way, you can show him where you spent your days these past months." Max understood Ray's hesitation. She had after all explained to him that he wasn't to disclose to his father anything he ever did in TC. She also knew instinctively that his father never asked. Except to make sure that he had been treated correctly. She ran her hands through his hair. She had missed doing this simple gesture. "You need a hair cut, young man!"

"I want a cut like Biggs!" he declared nodding his head.

"We'll see about that." she looked at Ames. "Do you think if we race your father to TC, he'll beat us, or we'll beat him?"

"We'll beat him for sure!" he exclaimed.

"Ok. Team Max and Ray, against Team Dad. A little race on the rooftops." She winked at Ray. "Do you think his old bones will manage to keep up?" she mocked.

Ames scoffed. "We'll see who can't keep up."

H*E*A*T

The first time his son jumped from the roof, his heart stopped. The whole two seconds where Ray was suspended in the air, he felt his heart constrict. It started to beat again when Ray landed safely on his own two feet, on the opposite roof. He heard Max's chuckle.

"Don't worry. It's not the first time that he's doing this and he knows." she stressed, "that he must never take risks. He knows his limit."

"You mean to tell me that the first time that he jumped you weren't scared out of your mind?"

"Of course I was afraid." she smiled at Ray's antics on the other roof. "Now that you're reassured in his abilities, let's see if you really can keep up." She soared away, her laugh ringing in the night air.


	11. Challenge

Oh God, they were at it again, Alec thought as he passed Ames and Max's apartment. It was a good thing that Ray-Ray was already out. The blond transgenic shrugged. At least it was clear who she choose as a mate, so all the X5s who were sniffing around her before all the Heat – White thing happened stopped to do so. One more thing he didn't have to worry about.

Max had definitely a thing for older guys, he pondered as he walked toward HQ. Granted that Ames was probably older than Logan because of all his genetic make up. He wondered if they would stay forever young, well not forever but a good amount of time, or if they would die young like a moth consumed by the flames. He shook the thoughts away as he entered HQ.

Giving a few nods on his way up, he was about to open the door of his – so called – office when he heard Mole calling him.

"Alec!"

Figured the lizard guy wouldn't stop nagging him the minute he set foot in HQ. Probably about his cigars and weapons.

"Yeah, Mole?" he said not turning around.

"Jacky R here wants a word with you."

Jacky R was a very bulky, all in muscles no brain X5. But what he lacked in brain, he had in cruelty. Especially in combat. It was because of his said cruelty that he had earned the name Jacky R, like Jack the Ripper. And as the latter, it was never a good thing to hear from him.

A cold shudder ran through Alec's spine and he braced himself for what would happen next.

"Yes Jacky?"

"What's the familiar still doing here? And alive?" This was bound to happen. When Ray it didn't cause any problem : he was an easy kid, and no one really knew what he was, or rather who he was before his father came along.

The problem was White : White was the bad guy in any transgenic life a few weeks ago.

"He's just here for his kid. They'll leave when it's safe for them to leave. Meanwhile they're under my protection." He didn't know if it was a good idea to put the White under his protection. For one thing, the old man wouldn't appreciate, and the second thing was that it was so tense in TC since White arrived that some transgenic could overlook the order and the warning he just gave and kill White.

"When it's safe for them?" roared Jacky. "But is it still safe for us here?" The silent nods of some transgenic in the room unnerved Alec. This wasn't good.

Alec took a step forward. He was the leader here and he wasn't going to let his authority challenged in front of everyone in HQ. He had enough things to face without thinking about people who would try to challenge him.

He was eye to eye with Jacky.

"Shut up Jacky!" And those three words contained enough venom to kill if it were possible. "His father made all of us, so if he wants to see his son, he'll see his son. He won't do anything to put any of us in danger."

"That's just because his kid is here now. What will happen when he'll leave? Do you think he'll still be 'loyal' to you just because he got a roll in the hay with the 09er? And that he'll become a goody-two-shoes?"

Oh, so this was about Max after all. Alec relaxed a bit. Though it wasn't good news either that Jacky wanted to kill White because she choose him.

* * *

"It is none of your business who I'm in bed with." Max said loud enough for all to hear. "Jacky." She added as an after thought as if he didn't deserve to be named. "And if you have anything to say about my choice, at least tell it to my face."

She had arrived a few minutes after Alec, right on time to hear Jacky R's comment.

She felt dirty as she felt his eyes on her body. Only one person had the right to do that now.

"That man that you're so worried about risked his life for mine more times than many of you here ever did. Not that you would risk our lives for an 09er, right? After all, we, 09ers, are traitors! We are capable of no good, right?"

Those who thought so had the decency to look away. Except Jacky.

"Lookie, we have our very own martyr!" he commented.

"Alec already told you shut up!" Max snapped before reporting her attention to all the transgenic present. "I'm sick and tired of you all looking down on me like I'm dirt." Her eyes were back on Jacky. "You got a problem with me? Well we're going to solve this. Once and for all."

"Max!" Alec intervened. She couldn't possibly suggest a challenge.

"Ouh! You want to fight me? I'm scared!" Jacky mocked.

"I don't think that's a good idea Max."

"Shut up."

Jacky smiled. If he didn't have her, no one would. And especially not a familiar. Plus he would have the pleasure to kill her himself. That'd teach the bitch a lesson. She was an 09er, she was beneath him, yet she got to give him orders and look down on him. No one looked down on Jacky R. No one. No 09er was going to command him no matter that she had no junk DNA and all that. Screw all this, he was going to kill her.

"When?"

"In a hour." Alec cut in before Max could answer.

"Can't wait babe!"

Jacky continued to smirk as he exited HQ with his crowd in tow.

Max gritted her teeth.

* * *

When they were out of sight, she turned to face Alec.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Alec!"

"Max! Even I would like to be warned before fighting someone like Jacky R!" The minute he said it, he knew he should have chosen his words better.

"Oh! So now you want me to back down on this fight coz I'm just a girl, I can't fight? Right?"

He ran his hand tired in his hair. "Not what I said. But like it or not, you could die. And you're important here Max."

"Because of some tattoo thing…"

"No. Because I care about you. Many people here care about you."

The sincerity in his eyes made her pause.

"You're important here too. I know this was bound to happen. The fact that it's Jack doesn't surprise me either. When I made the decision to let White come here, I made a mistake. It's up to me to fix this."

"Fix what?"

Well, thought Alec, the last piece of the puzzle arrived and he knew that Ames wasn't going to be very happy about the turn of events.

* * *

"Are you crazy?" White's reaction was predictable. No man could stand by and watch his woman getting kick around by some bully.

"It's my fight!" Max exclaimed. Ames wasn't even listen to her, he turned to Alec, who raised his arms in a mock surrender.

"And you," pointed Ames, "I would have thought that you would be clever enough to stop her from doing something stupid like that!"

"Hey! I'm here remember!" she protested. Max whacked both man on their heads.

"And it's not as if I could do anything about it. It's not even about you two being together that he's angry about. It's the fact that he's not the one she chose." Said Alec.

"It's my fight!" she repeated. More calmly this time.

"I'll have to agree with her on that."

Ames threw him an icy glare that the blond transgenic just shrugged off! "It's not my fault!" He added in his defense.

"You're not going to really fight him right?"

Max narrowed her eyes on Ames. Alec was glad that he wasn't the only one she looked with _those_ eyes. "Excuse me?"

Alec sighed. "Max he's just trying to help you." He tried. This was no business of his. But he tried anyway.

"He doesn't need you to talk Alec." The brunette murmured icily.

The main thing about Max that he hated the most – and that he admired the most too – was her stubborness. As far as the dark blond X5 was concerned, she was plagued by it. Ames was built the same way, and it was at moments like this that he could almost understans the attraction between the two.

"Besides, it's time."

The moment he said those words, Ames' demeanor changed all together. The familiarlooked at Max and nodded his assent, finally accepting the situation.

"Alec, ask Gem to get Ray and to keep him with her."

The X5 gave her a brief nod and left thme alone.

"I'm coming with you." Ames stated.

"Are you sure?" she asked. It wasn't that she didn't want him to be there. She did. The problem was she ddin't feel at ease about what was going to happen. It was her first challenge. She didn't count those she had with her units back at Manticore. Challenges were all about animal instinct, about determining who was the strongest one, the alpha. There was nothing huma in it. Though since she broke out into the worls, she kept wondering if anyone still knew the definition of humanity.

"The least I could do when you put your life on the line, is to be there for you." Ames merely explained.

* * *

The news of the upcoming fight between Max and Jacky R was known to every transgenic in TC's vicinity, so it wasn't a surprise that almost every transgenic had gathered at the outskirts of TC near the beach, where they burned the dead, where all challenges took place. It seemed that in this area the air was cold, that it sucked all the life around. She felt a chill running down her spine as she approached Jacky.

"You came!" Jacky commented. "Shame, I made the bet that you would send one of your boy toys over here!" he said gesturing to Ames and Alec.

"Less talk and more actions Jacky. Let's get this over with. Or are you afraid of girl?" she was proud that her voice didn't waver though she wasn't sure if she was going to live throught this day. One thing for sure : if she was going down, she would do it with dignity, fighting, like Zack would have done it.

Jacky smirked and blurred toward her. The fight was on. She jumped up to avoid him but he caught her feet and brought her down with all his strength. He was not losing this fight! He pumped his fists into her gut, and her face until all you could see of her face was the blood from her broken nose.

He smiled. It was easier than he thought. She was nothing but a mosquito. And he was going to squash her, right in front of the familiar. And when he'll be done with her, he would kill 494, and the little familiar right in front of White. Yeah. He leaned into her and murmured : "Smell your blood? That's the smell of my victory. And when I'm done with you, I'll kill that little piece of shit of familiar right in front of his father."

Anger and rage flashed in Max's eyes and she ceased his head and bit his ear.

"You bitch!" She didn't let go as he tried to get up. When she finally let go, she had a piece of his right ear in her mouth.

* * *

Alec was relieved when he saw that she was steady on her feet. Jacky took a few steps back and nursed his ear with his hand. He was angrier that ever. Rushing toward her again, she surprised him by letting herself fall on the ground with her hands to support herself. She had to be quick and effective. Jacky couldn't slow down. She grabbed his feets in a foot lock, and Jacky fell face first first on the sand. Quickly, she knocked him on the head and got up. She didn't hesitate. Her hands on his head, she snapped his neck. All she could think of once she realized she was alive was that all the people she loved were safe.

And then she felt a moisture in her crotch. Funny, she thought, she wasn't hurt there. That was her last thought before she collasped.

* * *

"Max!" yelled both Alec and Ames. The familiar got to her first and he immediatly ran toward the infirmary with Max in his arms.

Ames almost didn't recognize the emotion that he felt as he ran toward the grey building. It was fear. The attraction between the two of them, he could understand. The concern he felt for her life, he could bare. They had lived thigns that made worst enemies bond. But the fear, the fear for her life. That was new. He thought he had long ago let all weakening emotions in his youth. Apparently not. He feared for her life. And he knew he would do anything to save her.

How could someone so strong and lethal, be so small and vulnerable in his arms.

"Help here! She's hurt!" Cat recognized the voice of the familiar. She was the chief medic in TC and had yet to have an encounter with the infamous White. She put aside her feelings as she saw the precious burden in his arms.

"Put her here." She said nodding to a bed. "What happened?" Her question directed to Alec who was right behind Ames.

"She killed Jacky, but then she collapsed." Alec answered.

"Ok."

"She's bleeding, in the crotch." Added Ames.

Cat frowned.

"Okay." She looked at her leader and Alec nodded silently.

"Come on Ames. Let get Ray. I think it's going to take time here."

The familiar was reluctant at first.

"I'll take good care of her. I already patched her up a number of times before you came here. She'll be fine with me."

White finally nodded and followed Alec out.

* * *

Two long hours. He had been waiting alone in the rain, outside the infirmary. He couldn't stay with Alec and Ray, so he left the confort of their apartment and headed straight to the grey building.

"Come on in." Said Cat.

Silence followed his entry in the building.

"You want some coffee? Max brought me some real one last week."

"If she okay?"

"She'll fine. But she needs her rest."

Ames raised his head and looked at the medic in the eye. "You hate me. But I'm your best chance to survive the upcoming war."

"That's what I heard. You must not even remember me..."

"Oh, I do remember you. Sector 6. A year ago. You were with another X5."

"He was my mate." Cat cut in.

"They are always someone's mate, someone's daughter, father, son, lover...Have you ever thought of that when you worked for Manticore."

"It's not the same..." she intervened.

"No. I killed him because he was a threat for me. You killed because you were ordered to." Ames retaliated. "I understand your anger and don't worry, I won't kill any transgenic. If I do I'll be hunted by both sides and I don't thik my mate will appreciate either!"

Silence.

"She's pregnant. She almost lost the child. Probably because of Jacky's pounding."


End file.
